The China Open is ready to get underway and for world No 1 Jannik Sinner, the tournament marks a ‘full circle’ moment.
It was at this tournament 12 months ago that the Italian’s rise to the very top of the game began, defeating Daniil Medvedev to lift the title.
Sinner returns to Beijing not only as the best player in the world and as the top seed but also as a two-time Grand Slam champion, having lifted the Australian and US Open titles in 2024.
But now he faces a different test in defending his China Open crown.
Only two men have ever defended the title in Beijing, and only one more has won multiple titles at the tournament.
We look at the three men Sinner hopes to emulate this coming week.
Michael Chang: 1993-1995
The China Open was an ATP 250-level event when it was first launched in 1993, and the first three editions of the tournament were all won by former world No 2 Chang.
The American was the top seed at the inaugural tournament 31 years ago and battled his way to the title, downing Greg Rusedski in a tight three-set final.
Chang returned as the top seed once again in 1994 and claimed his second victory in as many years, defeating Swedish star Anders Jarryd in straight sets to successfully defend the title.
He then sealed his third and final triumph in 1995, fending off Renzo Furlan to complete a successful ‘threepeat’ in the Chinese capital.
Rafael Nadal: 2005, 2017
Twelve years separated Nadal’s first triumph as a teenager in 2005 and his second triumph as a 31-year-old back in 2017.
Months after winning his first Grand Slam title at the French Open, Nadal helped cement his place as the ATP’s new star as he came from a set down to defeat Guillermo Coria and capture his first Beijing title.
In 2017, weeks after winning his third US Open title amid a major resurgence, the former world No 1 thrashed Nick Kyrgios to regain the title after waiting well over a decade to lift the title once again.
Novak Djokovic: 2009-2010, 2012-2015
No one has found more success in Beijing than Djokovic, who lifted the title six times in the space of seven tournaments.
Djokovic defeated Marin Cilic in straight sets to triumph in 2009 – the first time the event was an ATP 500-level tournament – and then breezed past David Ferrer in the 2010 final to defend his title.
The Serbian was then unable to defend his title in 2011 due to injury, but then stormed to four titles in a row following his return in 2012.
He defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in straight sets in the 2012 final, before downing long-term rival Nadal, also in straight sets, to seal his fourth crown in 2013.
Djokovic dropped just two games in an emphatic display against Tomas Berdych in the 2014 final, before again overcoming Nadal to lift his sixth and final title in 2015.
