Novak Djokovic won the China Open on Tuesday after his opponent Alex de Minaur retired from the final, extending an astonishing unbeaten streak in Beijing and winning the 102nd title of his career. The 39-year-old Serbian won the first set in the tie-break 7-6 (7/3) and was down a game in the second set when the Australian ended the match early.&nbsp;"I always want to visualise myself with the trophy, particularly here in Beijing," Djokovic said during the trophy ceremony. "But I was also quite aware that reality is a little bit different these days," he said, adding that it had been a challenging year with "physical and health issues".&nbsp;"I was just trying to find the good feeling on the court," he said.&nbsp;Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis-brief-gauff-online-racism-china-open-sinner-season-over-knee-injury-1791282982255">Tennis Brief: Gauff calls out online racism after China Open video review; Sinner sidelined for season with knee injury</a>&nbsp;The first set was a physical battle that lasted more than one hour, and both men needed medical timeouts before the second. De Minaur, the world number nine, won the first game of the second set before retiring. It was not immediately clear why de Minaur left the match, but he walked back onto the court after his medical timeout with a white wrap around his left thigh.&nbsp;"I don't feel great," de Minaur told the crowd afterwards. "I want to say sorry to the amazing fans that came to watch... I didn't want to finish like this," the 27-year-old added.&nbsp;De Minaur advanced to the final after his opponent Hubert Hurkacz retired injured from their semi-final on Monday, while Djokovic moved through when Daniil Medvedev was disqualified for hitting a fan with a ball.&nbsp;With the win, Djokovic extended a perfect record to 34 wins in as many matches for his seventh title in the Chinese capital -- his first since 2015. He put on a valiant show to lift the trophy, ousting top seed Alexander Zverev in the quarter-final and coming back to defeat home hopeful Bu Yunchaokete in a demanding three sets.&nbsp;Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, will finish the season with a title for the 21st consecutive year.

Novak Djokovic clinched his 102nd career title and 7th China Open trophy after Alex de Minaur retired injured during the Beijing final.

Novak Djokovic won the China Open on Tuesday after his opponent Alex de Minaur retired from the final, extending an astonishing unbeaten streak in Beijing and winning the 102nd title of his career. The 39-year-old Serbian won the first set in the tie-break 7-6 (7/3) and was down a game in the second set when the Australian ended the match early. "I always want to visualise myself with the trophy, particularly here in Beijing," Djokovic said during the trophy ceremony. "But I was also quite aware that reality is a little bit different these days," he said, adding that it had been a challenging year with "physical and health issues". "I was just trying to find the good feeling on the court," he said. Also read| Tennis Brief: Gauff calls out online racism after China Open video review; Sinner sidelined for season with knee injury The first set was a physical battle that lasted more than one hour, and both men needed medical timeouts before the second. De Minaur, the world number nine, won the first game of the second set before retiring. It was not immediately clear why de Minaur left the match, but he walked back onto the court after his medical timeout with a white wrap around his left thigh. "I don't feel great," de Minaur told the crowd afterwards. "I want to say sorry to the amazing fans that came to watch... I didn't want to finish like this," the 27-year-old added. De Minaur advanced to the final after his opponent Hubert Hurkacz retired injured from their semi-final on Monday, while Djokovic moved through when Daniil Medvedev was disqualified for hitting a fan with a ball. With the win, Djokovic extended a perfect record to 34 wins in as many matches for his seventh title in the Chinese capital -- his first since 2015. He put on a valiant show to lift the trophy, ousting top seed Alexander Zverev in the quarter-final and coming back to defeat home hopeful Bu Yunchaokete in a demanding three sets. Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, will finish the season with a title for the 21st consecutive year.

Novak Djokovic clinched his 102nd career title and 7th China Open trophy after Alex de Minaur retired injured during the Beijing final.

Novak Djokovic claims China Open title as De Minaur retires in final

American tennis star Coco Gauff said on Tuesday that she faced an ‘insane’ amount of online racist abuse after defeating Chinese teenager Sun Xinran in a match that included a video review. During Monday's China Open match against 16-year-old Sun Xinran in Beijing, the former US Open champion requested a video review over flickering LED lights, prompting some boos from the crowd.&nbsp;"Hey everyone, you can dislike me or disagree about what happened without being racist," Gauff wrote on X. "The amount of racist comments and messages I've received in the last few hours is insane," her post read.&nbsp;The umpire agreed for the point to be replayed, and 22-year-old Gauff went on to win the match 7-5, 6-1. Responding on X to a post containing a racial slur that was flagged as potential ‘hateful content’, the Black American player clarified in a separate post that she challenged the point before Sun's return when she noticed the lights flicker a second time.&nbsp;&nbsp;Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/daniil-medvedev-reveals-why-he-struck-ball-that-hit-spectator-at-china-open-1791256340796">Daniil Medvedev reveals why he struck ball that hit spectator at China Open</a>&nbsp;"I think it's weird I'm getting hate for following the rules," she said, explaining that players are instructed they can challenge points after play has concluded. "Xinran is an incredible talent and player. I apologised for the situation at the end of the match, and she completely understood," she added.&nbsp;By Tuesday morning, the hashtag ‘Gauff apologised to Sun Xinran after the match’ had hit 4.5 million views, ranking as the sixth top trend on Chinese social media platform Weibo.<h2>Sinner’s season is over</h2>Tennis world number one Jannik Sinner has brought a premature end to his season due to a knee injury, the Italian announced on Tuesday.&nbsp;"Me, together with the doctors, have decided that I need a course of treatment for my knee, which means that the 2026 season is officially over," Sinner said in a video posted on social media.&nbsp;The 25-year-old's announcement came just over a month before he was due to defend his crown at the ATP Finals in Turin. Sinner had finished the previous two seasons on a high by winning in Turin, leading to "so many beautiful feelings and emotions", he said.&nbsp;"This year is going to be way different," he acknowledged. "But at the moment, I also need to think about my long-term career."&nbsp;He has had an impressive, if injury-hit season, winning Wimbledon in July and five Masters 1000 events. He has won all six finals he has played in this year. The Italian's 94 per cent winning record in 2026 is the best of his career, even beating his figures from the previous two seasons in each of which he won two Grand Slams and the ATP Finals.&nbsp;A statement from Sinner's management team said that he would "follow a course of treatment for inflammation in his knee", which would help him "to recover before beginning preparations for 2027".

Coco Gauff decries online racist abuse following her China Open match, while World No. 1 Jannik Sinner ends his 2026 season due to a knee injury.

American tennis star Coco Gauff said on Tuesday that she faced an ‘insane’ amount of online racist abuse after defeating Chinese teenager Sun Xinran in a match that included a video review. During Monday's China Open match against 16-year-old Sun Xinran in Beijing, the former US Open champion requested a video review over flickering LED lights, prompting some boos from the crowd. "Hey everyone, you can dislike me or disagree about what happened without being racist," Gauff wrote on X. "The amount of racist comments and messages I've received in the last few hours is insane," her post read. The umpire agreed for the point to be replayed, and 22-year-old Gauff went on to win the match 7-5, 6-1. Responding on X to a post containing a racial slur that was flagged as potential ‘hateful content’, the Black American player clarified in a separate post that she challenged the point before Sun's return when she noticed the lights flicker a second time. Also read| Daniil Medvedev reveals why he struck ball that hit spectator at China Open "I think it's weird I'm getting hate for following the rules," she said, explaining that players are instructed they can challenge points after play has concluded. "Xinran is an incredible talent and player. I apologised for the situation at the end of the match, and she completely understood," she added. By Tuesday morning, the hashtag ‘Gauff apologised to Sun Xinran after the match’ had hit 4.5 million views, ranking as the sixth top trend on Chinese social media platform Weibo. Sinner’s season is over Tennis world number one Jannik Sinner has brought a premature end to his season due to a knee injury, the Italian announced on Tuesday. "Me, together with the doctors, have decided that I need a course of treatment for my knee, which means that the 2026 season is officially over," Sinner said in a video posted on social media. The 25-year-old's announcement came just over a month before he was due to defend his crown at the ATP Finals in Turin. Sinner had finished the previous two seasons on a high by winning in Turin, leading to "so many beautiful feelings and emotions", he said. "This year is going to be way different," he acknowledged. "But at the moment, I also need to think about my long-term career." He has had an impressive, if injury-hit season, winning Wimbledon in July and five Masters 1000 events. He has won all six finals he has played in this year. The Italian's 94 per cent winning record in 2026 is the best of his career, even beating his figures from the previous two seasons in each of which he won two Grand Slams and the ATP Finals. A statement from Sinner's management team said that he would "follow a course of treatment for inflammation in his knee", which would help him "to recover before beginning preparations for 2027".

Coco Gauff decries online racist abuse following her China Open match, while World No. 1 Jannik Sinner ends his 2026 season due to a knee injury.

Tennis Brief: Gauff calls out online racism after China Open video review; Sinner sidelined for season with knee injury

Russia's Daniil Medvedev stunned the tennis world after being disqualified from the China Open semi-finals on Monday (Oct. 5) in his match against Novak Djokovic. Medvedev was disqualified after accidentally hitting a spectator with the ball in the third set, three points away from a loss. The spectator was hit around the left eye and left the area after being struck by the ball. After his disqualification, Djokovic, who expressed shock at the incident, advanced to his 102nd tour-level final. Medvedev, meanwhile, has apologized for his actions. This is, however, not the first time Medvedev has been fined for his on-court behavior.<h2>Medvedev reveals reason behind striking ball which hit spectator at China Open</h2>The Russian was behind 7-5, 5-3 and had just lost a point when the incident happened. The ball went past him, hit the court wall, and Medvedev hit it. The ball went on to hit a spectator near the left eye in the arena, and everybody was left stunned. Have a look at the video below:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Not the ending we expected 😮 

@DjokerNole advances to the Beijing final after Medvedev is defaulted whilst down 5-7 3-5

#ChinaOpen https://t.co/Pae5eNrJ6W&mdash; Tennis TV (@TennisTV) <a href="https://x.com/TennisTV/status/2107108845491229153?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

After the match, Medvedev was asked about the incident by reporters, and he said: "Terribly sorry to the spectator, first of all. I'm trying to get in touch with him, if he wants it. Hopefully I can apologize in person. I just hope he's OK. That's the most important thing. I just really care about him right now. It was 100 percent an accident. You can see I didn't hit the ball in anger. I do a lot of bad things, but usually ball abuse is not my thing.""The ball was bouncing back, so I tried to just hit it anywhere so it doesn't go out of the court. When I saw the result, I felt horrible. Hopefully I can meet him and make up for it somehow," he explained.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/uefa-nations-league-france-come-from-behind-to-thrash-belgium-italy-continue-resurgence-1791252043621">UEFA Nations League: France come from behind to thrash Belgium; Italy continue resurgence</a>Djokovic, who was similarly disqualified from the US Open in 2020 for hitting a line judge with a ball, said: "I was shocked. I hope that person is not badly injured. On the other hand, I also feel sorry for Daniil because I know exactly how it feels to be disqualified in a big match. I’m sure Daniil didn’t want to do this intentionally."Medvedev, apart from being disqualified, also loses the prize money earned so far in the tournament as well.<h2>Medvedev has a history of on-court trouble</h2>This is not the first time Medvedev has found himself in trouble for his on-court behavior. At the US Open in 2025, he was fined $42,000 for losing his temper and insulting the umpire after a photographer walked onto the court as his opponent Benjamin Bonzi was getting ready to serve for match point.In April earlier this year, Medvedev smashed his racket multiple times at the Monte Carlo Open during his 6-0, 6-0 loss to Matteo Berrettini.At the Australian Open in 2025, he was fined about $71,000 for breaking a net camera by repeatedly smashing his racket. He was also made to pay for the camera as well.

Daniil Medvedev was disqualified from the China Open semi-final after accidentally hitting a spectator near the eye with a ball while trailing Novak Djokovic. Djokovic advanced, and Medvedev apologized.

Russia's Daniil Medvedev stunned the tennis world after being disqualified from the China Open semi-finals on Monday (Oct. 5) in his match against Novak Djokovic. Medvedev was disqualified after accidentally hitting a spectator with the ball in the third set, three points away from a loss. The spectator was hit around the left eye and left the area after being struck by the ball. After his disqualification, Djokovic, who expressed shock at the incident, advanced to his 102nd tour-level final. Medvedev, meanwhile, has apologized for his actions. This is, however, not the first time Medvedev has been fined for his on-court behavior. Medvedev reveals reason behind striking ball which hit spectator at China Open The Russian was behind 7-5, 5-3 and had just lost a point when the incident happened. The ball went past him, hit the court wall, and Medvedev hit it. The ball went on to hit a spectator near the left eye in the arena, and everybody was left stunned. Have a look at the video below:

Daniil Medvedev was disqualified from the China Open semi-final after accidentally hitting a spectator near the eye with a ball while trailing Novak Djokovic. Djokovic advanced, and Medvedev apologized.

Daniil Medvedev reveals why he struck ball that hit spectator at China Open

Novak Djokovic advanced to the China Open final on Monday (Oct 5) after Daniil Medvedev was disqualified in the second set, when a ball that came off the Russian's racquet hit a spectator. A man sitting in the stands behind Medvedev's side of the court was seen holding his face and escorted out of his seat after being hit, as Djokovic was serving for the match with the score at 7-5, 5-3.&nbsp;Eleventh-ranked Djokovic will play world number nine Alex de Minaur for the title on Tuesday in Beijing. The Australian had advanced over Hubert Hurkacz after the 29-year-old from Poland retired from their semi-final with an adductor strain.&nbsp;Medvedev hit the ball with a backhand at the edge of the stands when he failed to return a point, with the chair umpire stopping play.&nbsp;"Terribly sorry to the spectator, first of all," he told reporters afterwards, adding it was "100 percent an accident" and that he wished to apologise to the fan in person. "The ball was bouncing back, so I tried to, like, just hit it anywhere, so it doesn't go out from the court," he said.&nbsp;It had been a physical battle before Medvedev's disqualification.&nbsp;Djokovic was red-faced and hunched over between points, with both players forcing each other through gruelling rallies, until the Serbian took control in the second set. A valiant Djokovic, 39, put on a dazzling performance and saved 16 break points across the match, diving at the baseline and sprinting to the net.&nbsp;"I didn't see what happened, to be honest," he told the crowd after the fan was hit. "I'm sure that Daniil didn't... do it intentionally. It happened by accident. Sorry for the crowd," he said, adding that it had been a tough match.&nbsp;&nbsp;"I know the feeling," Djokovic told reporters later, recounting his own disqualification from the 2020 US Open after accidentally hitting a ball at a line judge.&nbsp;"It's horrible... but it happens," he said.&nbsp;Although Djokovic was three points away from winning the match, he said victory wouldn't have come easy and that he got "lucky" in a "very exhausting" battle.

Novak Djokovic reaches the China Open final after Daniil Medvedev is defaulted for hitting a spectator with a ball during their semi-final match.

Novak Djokovic advanced to the China Open final on Monday (Oct 5) after Daniil Medvedev was disqualified in the second set, when a ball that came off the Russian's racquet hit a spectator. A man sitting in the stands behind Medvedev's side of the court was seen holding his face and escorted out of his seat after being hit, as Djokovic was serving for the match with the score at 7-5, 5-3. Eleventh-ranked Djokovic will play world number nine Alex de Minaur for the title on Tuesday in Beijing. The Australian had advanced over Hubert Hurkacz after the 29-year-old from Poland retired from their semi-final with an adductor strain. Medvedev hit the ball with a backhand at the edge of the stands when he failed to return a point, with the chair umpire stopping play. "Terribly sorry to the spectator, first of all," he told reporters afterwards, adding it was "100 percent an accident" and that he wished to apologise to the fan in person. "The ball was bouncing back, so I tried to, like, just hit it anywhere, so it doesn't go out from the court," he said. It had been a physical battle before Medvedev's disqualification. Djokovic was red-faced and hunched over between points, with both players forcing each other through gruelling rallies, until the Serbian took control in the second set. A valiant Djokovic, 39, put on a dazzling performance and saved 16 break points across the match, diving at the baseline and sprinting to the net. "I didn't see what happened, to be honest," he told the crowd after the fan was hit. "I'm sure that Daniil didn't... do it intentionally. It happened by accident. Sorry for the crowd," he said, adding that it had been a tough match. "I know the feeling," Djokovic told reporters later, recounting his own disqualification from the 2020 US Open after accidentally hitting a ball at a line judge. "It's horrible... but it happens," he said. Although Djokovic was three points away from winning the match, he said victory wouldn't have come easy and that he got "lucky" in a "very exhausting" battle.

Novak Djokovic reaches the China Open final after Daniil Medvedev is defaulted for hitting a spectator with a ball during their semi-final match.

China Open: Djokovic reaches final after Medvedev defaulted for hitting fan with ball

Novak Djokovic rolled back the years to oust Alexander Zverev from the China Open on Sunday, beating the top seed 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 to set up a blockbuster semi-final with Daniil Medvedev. The 39-year-old Serbian electrified a packed crowd in Beijing, where he extended an astonishing winning streak to 32 matches and is a firm fan favourite.&nbsp;&nbsp;Djokovic called it one of his best matches of the year, alongside his epic five-set win over Italy's Jannik Sinner to reach the final at the Australian Open.&nbsp;&nbsp;He told reporters such battles were "evidence to me that I can still beat the best players in the world on the biggest stage".&nbsp;Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/china-open-2026-nikola-bartunkova-stuns-aryna-sabalenka-in-third-round-clash-1791107648023">China Open 2026: Nikola Bartunkova stuns Aryna Sabalenka in third-round clash</a>&nbsp;"Things are a bit different nowadays. It's hard to be consistently playing on the highest level like the youngsters," he said.&nbsp;He needed to play a mix of shots in "high-risk tennis" against the German, but he said feeling "physically pretty good" on the court after dealing all year with health issues helped him fight back. Djokovic got off to a poor start, double-faulting twice in the first game to help Zverev, a decade his junior, break serve instantly. Boos filled the stadium soon afterward when the umpire agreed to replay a point Djokovic had won, after Zverev complained about a flicker in the LED panels during play.&nbsp;The German saw out the first set from there, but a valiant Djokovic roared back to seal the second with a cross-court winner to break serve and force a decider.&nbsp;The 24-time Grand Slam champion faced 19 Zverev aces throughout the match but held steady on his own serve to go 5-4 ahead in the final set. He then broke the world number two to take the set and the match, seemingly defying his recent physical difficulties with victory in a gruelling two hours and 34 minutes.&nbsp;Djokovic will face Medvedev in the final four after the former world number one dispatched Francisco Cerundolo 7-6 (7/4), 6-3.&nbsp;Poland's Hubert Hurkacz also advanced to the semi-finals after beating Karen Khachanov, and will play Australia's Alex de Minaur, who survived a gruelling test to beat Andrey Rublev 1-6, 6-2, 6-3.

Novak Djokovic rallied from a set down to defeat top seed Alexander Zverev 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 at the China Open, extending his unbeaten Beijing streak to 32 matches and setting up a blockbuster semi-final against Daniil Medvedev. 

Novak Djokovic rolled back the years to oust Alexander Zverev from the China Open on Sunday, beating the top seed 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 to set up a blockbuster semi-final with Daniil Medvedev. The 39-year-old Serbian electrified a packed crowd in Beijing, where he extended an astonishing winning streak to 32 matches and is a firm fan favourite. Djokovic called it one of his best matches of the year, alongside his epic five-set win over Italy's Jannik Sinner to reach the final at the Australian Open. He told reporters such battles were "evidence to me that I can still beat the best players in the world on the biggest stage". Also read| China Open 2026: Nikola Bartunkova stuns Aryna Sabalenka in third-round clash "Things are a bit different nowadays. It's hard to be consistently playing on the highest level like the youngsters," he said. He needed to play a mix of shots in "high-risk tennis" against the German, but he said feeling "physically pretty good" on the court after dealing all year with health issues helped him fight back. Djokovic got off to a poor start, double-faulting twice in the first game to help Zverev, a decade his junior, break serve instantly. Boos filled the stadium soon afterward when the umpire agreed to replay a point Djokovic had won, after Zverev complained about a flicker in the LED panels during play. The German saw out the first set from there, but a valiant Djokovic roared back to seal the second with a cross-court winner to break serve and force a decider. The 24-time Grand Slam champion faced 19 Zverev aces throughout the match but held steady on his own serve to go 5-4 ahead in the final set. He then broke the world number two to take the set and the match, seemingly defying his recent physical difficulties with victory in a gruelling two hours and 34 minutes. Djokovic will face Medvedev in the final four after the former world number one dispatched Francisco Cerundolo 7-6 (7/4), 6-3. Poland's Hubert Hurkacz also advanced to the semi-finals after beating Karen Khachanov, and will play Australia's Alex de Minaur, who survived a gruelling test to beat Andrey Rublev 1-6, 6-2, 6-3.

Novak Djokovic rallied from a set down to defeat top seed Alexander Zverev 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 at the China Open, extending his unbeaten Beijing streak to 32 matches and setting up a blockbuster semi-final against Daniil Medvedev.&nbsp;

Novak Djokovic downs Zverev to book China Open semifinal against Medvedev

World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka suffered a shock third-round defeat at the China Open after Czech Republic’s Nikola Bartunkova beat her in straight sets on Sunday (Oct 4). A day after World No. 1 Elena Rybakina was knocked out, Sabalenka also exited the tournament following a 6-4, 6-3 loss to the 20-year-old in 1 hour and 35 minutes.&nbsp;Bartunkova, ranked 34th in the world, broke Sabalenka three times and did not drop her own serve throughout the match. The win was her second career victory over a Top 10 player, after defeating then-World No. 10 Belinda Bencic at the 2026 Australian Open.&nbsp;"First of all, I focused on myself to be calm. Aryna is great. She's a legend. She's a Grand Slam Champion. I'm really happy I won the match," Bartunkova said after the match.&nbsp;Bartunkova made a strong start by breaking Sabalenka in the opening set. She then saved five break points in the sixth game to take a 4-2 lead.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/they-played-a-good-game-carlo-ancelotti-lauds-india-s-fighting-spirit-despite-4-0-loss-1791100160433">'Played a good game': Ancelotti lauds India's fighting spirit despite 4-0 loss</a>&nbsp;The Czech player had three chances to break again in the following game but could not convert them and she remained composed, won her next two service games to love and closed out the first set 6-4.&nbsp;Bartunkova continued her impressive display in the second set, breaking Sabalenka early to move 3-1 ahead. She protected her serve and broke the Belarusian again in the ninth game. Bartunkova did not face a single break point in the set as she completed a 6-3 win.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/amazing-to-get-a-chance-to-stand-on-podium-anahat-singh-reflects-on-historic-asian-games-silver-1791096230481">‘Amazing to get...’: Anahat Singh reflects on historic Asian Games silver</a>&nbsp;Sabalenka’s early exit continues her disappointing record in Beijing and she has now failed to reach the quarterfinals in all five of her main-draw appearances at the China Open.&nbsp;With Sabalenka and Rybakina both eliminated, neither of the top two seeds will feature in the round of 16. It is the first time in 12 years that the China Open has lost both top seeds before the pre-quarterfinal stage.&nbsp;&nbsp;The last such instance came in 2015, when top seed Simona Halep and second seed Petra Kvitova failed to reach the last 16.&nbsp;&nbsp;With inputs from agencies

World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka suffered a shock third-round defeat at the China Open, losing in straight sets to Czech player Nikola Bartunkova.

World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka suffered a shock third-round defeat at the China Open after Czech Republic’s Nikola Bartunkova beat her in straight sets on Sunday (Oct 4). A day after World No. 1 Elena Rybakina was knocked out, Sabalenka also exited the tournament following a 6-4, 6-3 loss to the 20-year-old in 1 hour and 35 minutes. Bartunkova, ranked 34th in the world, broke Sabalenka three times and did not drop her own serve throughout the match. The win was her second career victory over a Top 10 player, after defeating then-World No. 10 Belinda Bencic at the 2026 Australian Open. "First of all, I focused on myself to be calm. Aryna is great. She's a legend. She's a Grand Slam Champion. I'm really happy I won the match," Bartunkova said after the match. Bartunkova made a strong start by breaking Sabalenka in the opening set. She then saved five break points in the sixth game to take a 4-2 lead. Also Read - 'Played a good game': Ancelotti lauds India's fighting spirit despite 4-0 loss The Czech player had three chances to break again in the following game but could not convert them and she remained composed, won her next two service games to love and closed out the first set 6-4. Bartunkova continued her impressive display in the second set, breaking Sabalenka early to move 3-1 ahead. She protected her serve and broke the Belarusian again in the ninth game. Bartunkova did not face a single break point in the set as she completed a 6-3 win. Also Read - ‘Amazing to get...’: Anahat Singh reflects on historic Asian Games silver Sabalenka’s early exit continues her disappointing record in Beijing and she has now failed to reach the quarterfinals in all five of her main-draw appearances at the China Open. With Sabalenka and Rybakina both eliminated, neither of the top two seeds will feature in the round of 16. It is the first time in 12 years that the China Open has lost both top seeds before the pre-quarterfinal stage. The last such instance came in 2015, when top seed Simona Halep and second seed Petra Kvitova failed to reach the last 16. With inputs from agencies

World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka suffered a shock third-round defeat at the China Open, losing in straight sets to Czech player Nikola Bartunkova.

China Open 2026: Nikola Bartunkova stuns Aryna Sabalenka in third-round clash

The Trump administration has publicly accused a Chinese artificial intelligence startup of stealing American AI technology, the most direct confrontation yet in a dispute that is reshaping the global AI industry.&nbsp;What The White House Said&nbsp;On July 22, Michael Kratsios, the White House's director of science and technology policy, accused Moonshot AI of conducting large-scale, covert distillation of Anthropic's Fable model to build its Kimi K3 system. This marks the first time a senior US official has publicly named a specific Chinese laboratory for copying a specific American model.&nbsp;Distillation is a technique in which one AI model is trained to imitate the outputs of a more powerful one. The practice is common and legal at small scale. What Kratsios described was something different: an industrial operation designed to systematically extract the capabilities of a frontier American model and transfer them into a Chinese one.&nbsp;Kratsios also alleged that Moonshot had acquired Nvidia's GB300-equipped servers and accessed GB300 hardware in Thailand, both potential violations of US export controls that ban the sale of advanced AI chips to Chinese entities.&nbsp;Treasury Threatens Sanctions&nbsp;Hours after Kratsios's statement, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent escalated the confrontation. ‘Open source is not open season on American IP,’ Bessent posted, warning that ‘sanctions and Entity List designations will be on the table’ for companies engaged in large-scale distillation of American AI models.&nbsp;The language was notable: Entity List placement would cut Moonshot off from American hardware, software, and cloud infrastructure — the same punishment the US imposed on Huawei in 2019.&nbsp;The Anthropic Connection&nbsp;The accusation did not emerge from nowhere. In February 2026, Anthropic disclosed that it had traced approximately 3.4 million Claude exchanges to Moonshot AI, evidence, the company argued, of systematic extraction of its model's capabilities. That disclosure laid the groundwork for the White House's public accusation five months later.&nbsp;Anthropic's Fable model became publicly available on July 1, 2026. Moonshot released Kimi K3 as an open-weight model the following week. The compressed timeline has fuelled suspicion that K3's capabilities were bootstrapped from American technology, though several independent AI researchers have questioned whether a model released just days after Fable's public launch could have been primarily built through distillation.&nbsp;What Happens Next&nbsp;As of July 23, Moonshot AI has not publicly responded to the accusations. The full Kimi K3 weights are scheduled to go public on July 27, a release that would make the model's architecture and training methods available for independent scrutiny.&nbsp;No formal sanctions or Entity List designations have been announced. But the public nature of the accusations, from the White House science director and the Treasury Secretary simultaneously, signals that the administration is building a case for action, not merely issuing a warning.&nbsp;The broader stakes are significant. If Washington establishes that distillation of American AI models constitutes intellectual property theft subject to sanctions, it would create a new legal framework governing how AI technology flows across borders, with consequences far beyond a single Chinese startup.

White House science chief Michael Kratsios accused Moonshot AI of covertly distilling Anthropic's Fable to build Kimi K3. Treasury Secretary Bessent warned sanctions are on the table. Anthropic had traced 3.4 million exchanges to Moonshot in February.

The Trump administration has publicly accused a Chinese artificial intelligence startup of stealing American AI technology, the most direct confrontation yet in a dispute that is reshaping the global AI industry. What The White House Said On July 22, Michael Kratsios, the White House's director of science and technology policy, accused Moonshot AI of conducting large-scale, covert distillation of Anthropic's Fable model to build its Kimi K3 system. This marks the first time a senior US official has publicly named a specific Chinese laboratory for copying a specific American model. Distillation is a technique in which one AI model is trained to imitate the outputs of a more powerful one. The practice is common and legal at small scale. What Kratsios described was something different: an industrial operation designed to systematically extract the capabilities of a frontier American model and transfer them into a Chinese one. Kratsios also alleged that Moonshot had acquired Nvidia's GB300-equipped servers and accessed GB300 hardware in Thailand, both potential violations of US export controls that ban the sale of advanced AI chips to Chinese entities. Treasury Threatens Sanctions Hours after Kratsios's statement, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent escalated the confrontation. ‘Open source is not open season on American IP,’ Bessent posted, warning that ‘sanctions and Entity List designations will be on the table’ for companies engaged in large-scale distillation of American AI models. The language was notable: Entity List placement would cut Moonshot off from American hardware, software, and cloud infrastructure — the same punishment the US imposed on Huawei in 2019. The Anthropic Connection The accusation did not emerge from nowhere. In February 2026, Anthropic disclosed that it had traced approximately 3.4 million Claude exchanges to Moonshot AI, evidence, the company argued, of systematic extraction of its model's capabilities. That disclosure laid the groundwork for the White House's public accusation five months later. Anthropic's Fable model became publicly available on July 1, 2026. Moonshot released Kimi K3 as an open-weight model the following week. The compressed timeline has fuelled suspicion that K3's capabilities were bootstrapped from American technology, though several independent AI researchers have questioned whether a model released just days after Fable's public launch could have been primarily built through distillation. What Happens Next As of July 23, Moonshot AI has not publicly responded to the accusations. The full Kimi K3 weights are scheduled to go public on July 27, a release that would make the model's architecture and training methods available for independent scrutiny. No formal sanctions or Entity List designations have been announced. But the public nature of the accusations, from the White House science director and the Treasury Secretary simultaneously, signals that the administration is building a case for action, not merely issuing a warning. The broader stakes are significant. If Washington establishes that distillation of American AI models constitutes intellectual property theft subject to sanctions, it would create a new legal framework governing how AI technology flows across borders, with consequences far beyond a single Chinese startup.

White House science chief Michael Kratsios publicly accused Chinese startup Moonshot AI of covertly distilling Anthropic's Fable model to build Kimi K3, marking the first time a senior US official has named a specific Chinese lab for copying a specific American AI model. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned sanctions are ‘on the table.’

US accuses China's Moonshot AI of stealing Anthropic's Fable to build Kimi K3

PV Sindhu criticised the scheduling at the China Open after her second-round defeat to home favourite and world no. 4 Chen Yufei on Thursday, raising concerns over the difference in recovery time between players. The Indian badminton star revealed that she had only 16 hours between her first-round match and her clash against Chen, while her opponent had more than a full day to recover before the encounter.&nbsp;Taking to X after the loss, the double Olympic medallist wrote: “About 16 hours for me between matches. 24+ hours for my dear friend Chen tomorrow after having a full day off before facing me today.” She followed it up with another post, adding: “Lovely to see recovery being given the importance it deserves. Funny how schedules have a way of taking care of recovery. I only wish they took care of everyone the same way.”&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/failure-is-okay-cheating-is-not-sachin-tendulkar-calls-for-merit-based-culture-amid-student-protests-1784821525857">'Failure is okay, cheating is not': Sachin Tendulkar calls for merit-based culture amid student protests</a>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">About 16 hours for me between matches. 24+ hours for my dear friend Chen tomorrow after having a full day off before facing me today. Lovely to see recovery being given the importance it deserves. Funny how schedules have a way of taking care of recovery. I only wish they took… <a href="https://t.co/rngGX7zfCA">pic.twitter.com/rngGX7zfCA</a>&mdash; PV Sindhu (@Pvsindhu1) <a href="https://x.com/Pvsindhu1/status/2080289469085962335?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 23, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Sindhu's campaign ended with a hard-fought 21-16, 20-22, 18-21 defeat in a match that lasted nearly 90 minutes. The 30-year-old from Hyderabad entered the China Open after winning the Japan Open, ending a prolonged title drought. The opening game saw Chen take an early 13-7 lead before Sindhu staged an impressive comeback. After drawing level at 16-16, the Indian reeled off five consecutive points to claim the game 21-16.&nbsp;Chen bounced back in the second game despite Sindhu appearing to be on the verge of victory. Holding a 20-16 lead with four match points, Sindhu was unable to close out the contest as the Chinese star won six straight points to take the game 22-20 and force a decider. The final game remained evenly balanced with the scores tied at 17-17. Chen, however, held her nerve in the closing stages, winning four of the last five points to complete the comeback and secure the victory in front of the home crowd.&nbsp;The scheduling issue quickly became a major talking point after the match. Sindhu had less than a day to recover following her opening-round win before taking on Chen in a physically demanding contest. In contrast, Chen had more than 24 hours between her matches after receiving a full day's break before facing Sindhu. She will also enjoy another full day of recovery before meeting Thailand's seventh seed Ratchanok Intanon in the quarterfinals.

PV Sindhu slammed the China Open scheduling after her second-round loss to Chen Yufei, questioning the unequal recovery time between players ahead of their clash

PV Sindhu criticised the scheduling at the China Open after her second-round defeat to home favourite and world no. 4 Chen Yufei on Thursday, raising concerns over the difference in recovery time between players. The Indian badminton star revealed that she had only 16 hours between her first-round match and her clash against Chen, while her opponent had more than a full day to recover before the encounter. Taking to X after the loss, the double Olympic medallist wrote: “About 16 hours for me between matches. 24+ hours for my dear friend Chen tomorrow after having a full day off before facing me today.” She followed it up with another post, adding: “Lovely to see recovery being given the importance it deserves. Funny how schedules have a way of taking care of recovery. I only wish they took care of everyone the same way.” Also Read: 'Failure is okay, cheating is not': Sachin Tendulkar calls for merit-based culture amid student protests

Indian Ace shuttler PV Sindhu questioned China Open scheduling after getting just 16 hours to recover before her second-round loss to Chen Yufei

PV Sindhu slams China Open scheduling after second-round exit to China's Chen Yufei

Double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu fought hard to beat fellow Indian teenager Unnati Hooda and move into the second round of the China Open, while Ayush Shetty stunned world No. 11 Alwi Farhan in a major first-round upset on Wednesday. Fresh from ending her two-year title drought by winning the Japan Open last week, Sindhu secured a 21-14, 9-21, 21-10 victory in a 56-minute women’s singles match.&nbsp;The opening game was closely contested, with both players level at 7-7. Sindhu then took control by winning five straight points to open a 12-8 lead and comfortably claimed the game 21-14.&nbsp;Unnati bounced back strongly in the second game. After the score was tied at 2-2, she moved ahead 6-3 and then won six consecutive points to stretch her lead to 12-4. Sindhu struggled to regain momentum as Unnati dominated the game and won it 21-9 to force a deciding game.&nbsp;Sindhu responded in style in the final game. After a tight start, she built a 10-5 lead, extended it to 15-8 and finished the match with a convincing 21-10 win to book her place in the round of 16 of the BWF Super 1000 event.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/glasgow-2026-commonwealth-games-opening-ceremony-date-time-performers-all-you-need-to-know-1784726628268">Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony: Date, time, performers &amp; all you need to know</a>&nbsp;Sindhu will now take on fourth seed and home favourite Chen Yufei, whom she defeated in straight games in the Japan Open semifinals last week. Chen has a slight 8-7 advantage in their head-to-head record.&nbsp;In the men’s singles, Ayush Shetty produced one of the biggest surprises of the opening round by defeating Indonesia’s world No. 11 and former world junior champion Alwi Farhan 17-21, 21-5, 21-17 in a thrilling 57-minute contest.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/icc-odi-rankings-joe-root-jumps-big-india-trio-close-in-on-no-1-spot-1784722222951">ICC ODI Rankings: Joe Root jumps big, India trio close in on No. 1 spot</a>&nbsp;After dropping the opening game, Ayush bounced back with a dominant display in the second round before holding his nerve to win the decider 21-17 and seal a memorable victory.&nbsp;Meanwhile, in men’s doubles, Hariharan Amsakarunan and M.R. Arjun were beaten 16-21, 7-21 by China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang in less than 30 minutes.&nbsp;In mixed doubles, Rohan Kapoor and Gadde Ruthvika Shivani lost 9-21, 16-21 to top seeds Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping of China.&nbsp;&nbsp;Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto also crashed out after suffering an 18-21, 18-21 defeat against fifth seeds Guo Xin Wa and Chen Fang Hui of China.&nbsp;With inputs from agencies

PV Sindhu advanced to the next round of the China Open after overcoming a tough challenge from Unnati Hooda, while Ayush Shetty pulled off a major upset by defeating world No. 11 Alwi Farhan.

Double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu fought hard to beat fellow Indian teenager Unnati Hooda and move into the second round of the China Open, while Ayush Shetty stunned world No. 11 Alwi Farhan in a major first-round upset on Wednesday. Fresh from ending her two-year title drought by winning the Japan Open last week, Sindhu secured a 21-14, 9-21, 21-10 victory in a 56-minute women’s singles match. The opening game was closely contested, with both players level at 7-7. Sindhu then took control by winning five straight points to open a 12-8 lead and comfortably claimed the game 21-14. Unnati bounced back strongly in the second game. After the score was tied at 2-2, she moved ahead 6-3 and then won six consecutive points to stretch her lead to 12-4. Sindhu struggled to regain momentum as Unnati dominated the game and won it 21-9 to force a deciding game. Sindhu responded in style in the final game. After a tight start, she built a 10-5 lead, extended it to 15-8 and finished the match with a convincing 21-10 win to book her place in the round of 16 of the BWF Super 1000 event. Also Read - Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony: Date, time, performers & all you need to know Sindhu will now take on fourth seed and home favourite Chen Yufei, whom she defeated in straight games in the Japan Open semifinals last week. Chen has a slight 8-7 advantage in their head-to-head record. In the men’s singles, Ayush Shetty produced one of the biggest surprises of the opening round by defeating Indonesia’s world No. 11 and former world junior champion Alwi Farhan 17-21, 21-5, 21-17 in a thrilling 57-minute contest. Also Read - ICC ODI Rankings: Joe Root jumps big, India trio close in on No. 1 spot After dropping the opening game, Ayush bounced back with a dominant display in the second round before holding his nerve to win the decider 21-17 and seal a memorable victory. Meanwhile, in men’s doubles, Hariharan Amsakarunan and M.R. Arjun were beaten 16-21, 7-21 by China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang in less than 30 minutes. In mixed doubles, Rohan Kapoor and Gadde Ruthvika Shivani lost 9-21, 16-21 to top seeds Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping of China. Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto also crashed out after suffering an 18-21, 18-21 defeat against fifth seeds Guo Xin Wa and Chen Fang Hui of China. With inputs from agencies

PV Sindhu advanced to the next round of the China Open after overcoming a tough challenge from Unnati Hooda, while Ayush Shetty pulled off a major upset by defeating world No. 11 Alwi Farhan.

China Open: PV Sindhu survives Unnati Hooda challenge, Ayush Shetty upsets World No. 11

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China Open: Sindhu survives Unnati Hooda challenge, Shetty upsets World No. 11