Tennis News

Mpetshi Perricard secures double milestone with Fritz revenge job in Shanghai

Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard secured a pair of significant breakthroughs in one swoop on Sunday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

The Frenchman upset World No. 4 Taylor Fritz 6-4, 7-5 to seal the biggest win of his career by PIF ATP Ranking. With his one-hour, 25-minute victory inside the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena, one which avenged his painful loss to Fritz from two sets up at Wimbledon earlier this year, Mpetshi Perricard also booked his spot in the fourth round at an ATP Masters 1000 for the first time.

You gotta do what you gotta do 🫡@MpetshiG | @SH_RolexMasters | #RolexShanghaiMasters pic.twitter.com/WPxBlY3oAo

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 5, 2025

Although Perricard secured his win in straight sets, humid conditions in Shanghai made Sunday’s encounter a big physical test for both players. It was the Frenchman’s ability to capitalise at key moments, particularly as Fritz tired towards the end of the match, that proved crucial.

Mpetshi Perricard broke his opponent’s serve in a dramatic 11th game of the second set in which Fritz let slip a 30/0 lead and struggled to put away winners in the slow conditions. The World No. 37 then served out successfully to wrap a victory in which he fired 12 aces and did not face a break point, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

“Before this my record was not good, 0-6 [against Top 10 players],” said Mpetshi Perricard, who plays Holger Rune in the fourth round. “Some of the matches were tough losses for me. I was very close against [Lorenzo] Musetti, against [Fritz] at Wimbledon, and I had a lot of things to improve. I tried to do a few things better than at Wimbledon, and it worked today.

“It was a tough match, physically and mentally, but I did well and I’m very happy about it.”

While third-round defeat in Shanghai is a setback in Fritz’s bid to secure qualification for the Nitto ATP Finals, the American remains well placed to reach the season finale. He is fifth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, 450 points clear of Musetti in the final qualification spot.

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Sinner, Djokovic to feature in blockbuster Shanghai double bill

The biggest stars are often scheduled to play under the evening lights on the ATP Tour, but rarely do two of the game’s greats compete in the same session.

Shanghai night ticket holders at the Rolex Shanghai Masters might have expected to see Jannik Sinner or Novak Djokovic play during the night session on Sunday, with the No. 2 and No. 5 players in the PIF ATP Rankings both in the draw’s bottom half. Instead, those lucky fans will have the opportunity to see both giants of the game.

At 6:30 p.m. local time, Djokovic will open the evening session against German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann in the pair’s second Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting. That match will be followed by Sinner vs. 27th seed Tallon Griekspoor, with the Italian bidding to extend his perfect record against the Dutchman to 7-0.

“I’m very early in my career still, but I’m very happy to play after Novak. It’s great for the fans, it’s great to hopefully watch some good tennis in both matches,” Sinner said, discussing the hottest ticket in the sport.

The double bill comes at a fitting time, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena, which was initially built to host the Nitto ATP Finals (then the ATP World Tour Finals) from 2005-08. The stadium has a retractable steel roof that spirals open and shut. When closed, the roof resembles a blooming magnolia, Shanghai’s official flower.

With Sinner and Djokovic set to compete in the same session on Sunday, they could face off in the same match later at the ATP Masters 1000 event. If both players notch three more wins, they would meet in the semi-finals. That potential meeting would be their 11th Lexus ATP Head2Head showdown; Sinner leads the series 6-4 with wins in their past five meetings, including this season at Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

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#NextGenATP stars Shang, Tien score upset wins in Shanghai

China’s Shang Juncheng earned the biggest win of his career Saturday night on home soil by beating Karen Khachanov at the Rolex Shanghai Masters. With his 7-6(3), 6-3 victory, Shang notched his first win against a Top 10 opponent in the PIF ATP Rankings and advanced to the third round at an ATP Masters 1000 for the first time.

“Unbelievable match today against Karen. He’s a very solid Top 10 player,” said the 20-year-old #NextGenATP star, who was a perfect three-for-three on break points, according to Infosys ATP Stats. “Coming into the match, I didn’t think too much, just wanted to put on a show for the people. I didn’t start perfectly in the match, but kept fighting, kept focusing every point, was playing really happy, no matter winning or losing.

“I’m glad that I got the win. But overall, just happy with the performance.”

Shang is the youngest of three Chinese players who have reached the Shanghai third round, with all three instances coming since 2023. Zhang Zhizhen advanced to that stage that year, while Wu Yibing accomplished the feat in 2024. Shang is also the second Chinese player to earn a Top 10 win on home soil, after Buyunchaokete beat Andrey Rublev last year in Beijing.

Shang and Khachanov twice traded breaks in the opening set. In the second set, Shang rode a string of winners to victory, claiming the final three games from 3-3 and rattling off the final six points of the match.

“I think overall just, like I said, didn’t think too much. Sometimes the winner comes without thinking,” added Shang, who was cheered on by family in the crowd, including his grandmother. “If you think too much, you might be tight at that moment, I thought, ‘OK, time to work, time to get it done.’

“Against players like Karen, you might only have one chance to close it out. If I don’t, it might be the match, it might be a grind in the third set, you never know. But I’m glad that I kept the focus. And at the end it went smoothly.”

An unforgettable moment ✨

Jerry Shang captures his first Top 10 win after an impressive 7-6(3) 6-3 victory over Kachanov.@SH_RolexMasters | #RolexShanghaiMasters pic.twitter.com/TsROdYNb9j

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 4, 2025

Learner Tien might have a new nickname on the ATP Tour, the “Comeback Kid.”

The 19-year-old American rallied from a set down for the second time in as many days on Saturday to defeat No. 33 seed Corentin Moutet 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, to reach the third round at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

Tien came back to defeat Miomir Kecmanovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the first round in his tournament debut on Friday and 24 hours later he rallied from two breaks down in the second set and a break down in the third set to beat the left-handed Frenchman.

“I am really happy to pull that one off,” said Tien, who will next face No. 30 seed Cameron Norrie in the third round on Monday. “It was definitely looking rough, especially in that second set. I didn’t really lose hope. I feel like in a lot of my return games I had looks, whether it be 15-30 or Love-15 points that I feel like I should be winning to go up Love-30, and I just let a lot of chances slip by. So just try to keep a level head as best I could, and just keep believing that I was still in the match.”

Going back to his last tournament in Beijing where he reached his first ATP Tour final, Tien’s last four wins have come from a set down. In the quarter-finals, Tien defeated No. 9 Lorenzo Musetti, who retired with a thigh injury at 0-3 down in the third set. In the semi-finals, Tien beat World No. 18 Daniil Medvedev, who retired at 0-4 down in the final set. Tien also came back from a set down in the first round aginast No. 21 Francisco Cerundolo.

Tien finished last season at No. 122 in the PIF ATP  Rankings, culminating with a runner-up at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah where he lost to Joao Fonseca. He began the ATP Tour Asian swing ranked No. 54, reaching the quarter-finals in Hangzhou and final in Beijing. He has climbed to No. 37 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.

Tien has a match record of 25-20 on the season, including an impresssive 5-3 vs. Top 10 opponents. Tien has been working since this summer with former World No. 2 Michael Chang, who he credits with his improvement.

“He’s helped me a lot and he’s really, really been a great influence on me,” said Tien of the International Tennis Hall of Fame member. “He’s really helped me kind of, in my first year. I don’t have that much experience playing week-to-week, and someone like him that has been around coaching and playing for so long, his insight and his experience has been super, super helpful.”

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Sinner speeds through in Shanghai, launches title defence

The Rolex Shanghai Masters has not been a happy hunting ground for defending champions in recent years, but Jannik Sinner made an impressive start to his bid for back-to-back titles on Saturday at the Chinese ATP Masters 1000.

The No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings eased past Daniel Altmaier 6-3, 6-3 at Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena to kick-start his 2025 campaign. Sinner is bidding to become the first player to successfully defend the Shanghai title since Novak Djokovic in 2013 and arrived there fresh from lifting an ATP 500 title in Beijing on Wednesday. Against Altmaier, he picked up where he left off in the Chinese capital by producing a rock-solid one-hour, 38-minute display.

Facing Altmaier for the first time since his shock defeat to the German at 2023 Roland Garros, Sinner converted three of four break points he earned to set a third-round meeting with Tallon Griekspoor. The Italian now owns a 23-2 record in China, where he has won three titles (Beijing 2023 and 2025, Shanghai 2024), and he will enter his clash with Griekspoor holding a 6-0 lead in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

With Carlos Alcaraz missing Shanghai due to injury, the 24-year-old Sinner has the opportunity to boost his hopes of a return to World No. 1 this fortnight. If he beats Griekspoor, he will move to within 1,290 points of No. 1 Alcaraz in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, while he would close the gap to just 390 points by successfully defending his title.

Another member of the ATP No. 1 Club, Daniil Medvedev, also booked his third-round spot in quickfire fashion on Saturday. The 16th seed, who rediscovered his form to reach the semi-finals in Beijing, settled quickly in Shanghai to overcome qualifier Dalibor Svrcina 6-1, 6-1. Medvedev struck 22 winners and made just nine unforced errors in his 60-minute win.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina will be 2019 champion Medvedev’s next opponent, after the Spaniard defeated Matteo Arnaldi 6-4, 6-4, while Learner Tien, who has defeated Medvedev twice in 2025 including in the Beijing semi-finals, is also alive in the same section of the draw. The #NextGenATP American rallied past Corentin Moutet 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in his second-round match to set a meeting with Cameron Norrie.

More to follow…

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Norrie records first win since US Open

Great Britain’s Cameron Norrie beats Frenchman Arthur Cazaux 6-3 0-6 7-6 (7-5) to reach the third round of the Shanghai Masters.

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Tsitsipas withdraws from Rolex Shanghai Masters

Stefanos Tsitsipas has withdrawn from the Rolex Shanghai Masters, citing a leg injury.

The Greek, who has also battled back pain this season, had been due to play Czech qualifier Dalibor Svrcina Saturday, last match on Grandstand 2. Australian Aleksandar Vukic comes into the draw as a lucky loser.

Tsitsipas’ resolve has been tested this year. After five Top 10 finishes between 2019-2023, and a No. 11 finish last year, the former World No. 3 has slipped to No. 25 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

The 2019 Nitto ATP Finals champion has a 22-18 record on the year, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss index.

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Zverev headed to doctor Sunday for toe test

Alexander Zverev will see a doctor Sunday in Shanghai to assess the right big toe he injured while serving out his opening-round win against Frenchman Valentin Royer today at the ATP Masters 1000.

On the first point of the final game of the match, Zverev hurt his toe during the follow-through of his serve. After winning the point, he limped to his courtside chair, removed his shoe and called the ATP physio on court for an initial assessment.

Zverev then returned to court to serve out the match to love. He stayed on court for his post-match interviews, signed autographs for fans and then again visited with the physio.

“I really don’t know what happened, so we’re going to check it out,” Zverev told ATPTour.com after the second physio visit. “There’s nothing with the bone, the physio told me. But we haven’t had a scan or anything like that. It might be a tear in a capsule or something like that, but we just don’t know.

“We’re going to talk to the doctors and see what we’re going to do. I hope it’s nothing serious and I can continue building on something without further injuries.

“It seems like I can’t catch a break this year. It’s been a rough year from a physical standpoint. We just talked about it in the locker room and the last time I played a tournament pain free was the Australian Open.”

Despite the discomfort, Zverev was able to make it through the final game, thanks to strong serving and quick points.

“Luckily I had a good serving day,” said the No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings. “The serve kind of got me through that game. I don’t think running side to side would have helped me but I didn’t play any [long] points that game, so it was helpful to me.”

Zverev, 28, collected his 48th win on the year according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss index.

In the third round the 2019 Rolex Shanghai Masters finalist will look to avenge a five-set loss to Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech earlier this year at Wimbledon in their lone Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting.

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Gauff thrashed by Anisimova in China Open semis

Defending champion Coco Gauff is thrashed 6-1 6-2 by Amanda Anisimova in their China Open semi-final.

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De Minaur sets personal milestone with Carabelli win in Shanghai

Alex de Minaur is treading new ground in 2025.

The No. 7 in the PIF ATP Rankings on Saturday eased past Camilo Ugo Carabelli 6-4, 6-2 to kick-start his Rolex Shanghai Masters campaign. With his 88-minute victory against Argentine Carabelli, De Minaur registered a personal-best 48th tour-level win in a single season, making him the first Australian man to hit that tally since former World No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt in 2004.

Best. Season. Ever 🙌@alexdeminaur notches up his 48th victory of the season, defeating Ugo Carabelli 6-4 6-2 to advance to round three.@SH_RolexMasters | #RolexShanghaiMasters pic.twitter.com/U324TSmVsB

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 4, 2025

“I’m happy with myself. It’s a great achievement to show the consistency,” said De Minaur after victory in his maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with Carabelli. “I feel like I probably could have broken that record last year if I hadn’t gotten injured. To come back this year and just show that consistency week-in and week-out, I’m very proud of my efforts.

“Saying that, there’s still a lot of tennis to be played, so hopefully I can keep adding wins to that tally. Keep doing what I’m doing, keep my head down, keep working hard, keep showing up, and just keep the confidence and momentum going.”

De Minaur, who did not face a break point against Carabelli according to Infosys ATP Stats, now owns a Tour-leading 35 wins on hard courts in 2025, ahead of Carlos Alcaraz and Taylor Fritz (both on 34). The Auslralian’s next challenge in Shanghai will be a fourth-round meeting with Kamil Majchrzak, who defeated 29th seed Brandon Nakashima 6-4, 6-0 to advance.

In other early Saturday action, Felix Auger-Aliassime snapped the momentum of qualifier Alejandro Tabilo in commanding fashion with a 6-3, 6-3 triumph. The Canadian saved all seven break points he faced to sink Chengdu champion Tabilo and set a meeting with 17th seed Jakub Mensik or Jesper de Jong.

With their second-round wins, both De Minaur and Auger-Aliassime have boosted their Nitto ATP Finals qualification hopes. De Minaur is seventh in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, just 325 points behind Ben Shelton, while Auger-Aliassime remains in 10th place but is just 590 points behind Lorenzo Musetti in the final qualification spot. Both De Minaur and Auger-Aliassime are chasing a second appearance at the prestigious season finale.

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Altmaier eyes Sinner disruption in Shanghai: 'I think I'm dangerous against the top guys'

Daniel Altmaier has built a reputation as a big-game player, and he has the arsenal to prove it.

On Saturday, he will once again test his flair for the upset when he takes on defending Rolex Shanghai Masters champion Jannik Sinner.

Altmaier toppled the Italian in their most recent meeting at Roland Garros in 2023, and one year before that, he pushed him to five sets at the US Open. For the 27-year-old German, these aren’t anomalies, they’re the blueprint of his game.

“I see myself that I can play tennis well against everyone on Tour. So that’s why I feel like I’m dangerous against those [top] guys,” Altmaier, the No. 49 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, told ATPTour.com in Shanghai. “I find my tactic, the way to play, the way to hurt people on the top level. So that’s where I’m also aiming to play constantly. I think that’s the thing: I can adapt my game, I can see the weaknesses and other opponents. That’s also what you play for.”

Altmaier’s numbers in 2025 back his conviction: He took down Taylor Fritz in the first round of Roland Garros — his fifth Top 10 victory — and produced a stirring five-set triumph over former World No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas at the US Open.

Two big stages, two scalps of heavyweights. Now, facing Sinner in the Italian’s opening match as defending champion in Shanghai, Altmaier arrives with the scent of another upset in the air.

“I really love these challenges, that’s what I play for,” said Altmaier, who is 1-1 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Sinner. “I played some brilliant matches this year already. Taylor Fritz, last week [Denis] Shapovalov… I put them all there [at the top] when they have a great day. They are really elite, they are the best players. I think that’s what I really look forward to and I think it’s going to be an exciting match.”

Much of Altmaier’s danger lies in his one-handed backhand, a shot that has both sting and subtlety. Against Sinner, he will need every ounce of that unpredictability to keep the World No. 2 unsettled. His deadly down-the-line backhand will make it risky for Sinner to give up too much court in the quest for inside-out forehands.

“I think he has the ability to also adjust his game,” Altmaier said of Sinner. “And well that’s one of the elements of my game… I have several different ones. I’m working a lot on the variety on the backhand side.

“I have the slice, I have the backhand that I can play flat, the one I can play a little bit more with topspin, I can switch direction. I think that one-handers do actually have a little bit more variety than two-handed backhands.”

After overcoming qualifier Tristan Schoolkate in his Shanghai opener, Altmaier improved his 2025 record to 17-23 record in 2025, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. It’s a steady rebound just four weeks after he was nursing a leg injury that forced him to retire from his third-round clash with Alex de Minaur in New York.

“Tokyo was my first tournament back after my little injury after the US Open, so I’m happy to have a two-set victory here playing some very good tennis,” Altmaier said. “I’m happy about the consistency I was getting recently. There were a lot of challenges throughout the season. The season is long and I’m getting to learn a lot from this year which is a crucial part in my career.”

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