Tennis essentials, 7 October: Djokovic wins Beijing and returns to the top 10, drained Gauff skips Wuhan, Sinner ends his season

Novak Djokovic has won the Beijing ATP 500 for the seventh time in as many appearances and returned to the top 10. Coco Gauff left China drained, and Jannik Sinner has officially ended his season.

Djokovic wins Beijing and returns to the top 10

Seven titles in seven appearances, 34 wins from 34 matches in Beijing: Novak Djokovic, 39, claimed his 102nd title by seeing off Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev and Alex De Minaur, who retired early in the second set of the final. Back in the top 10, the Serb is already looking further ahead, L’Équipe notes, after a “terrible” American swing, as he told We Love Tennis.

Medvedev defaulted, the LED board rule causes anger

The semi-final ended in a default: Daniil Medvedev involuntarily sent a ball towards a spectator as Novak Djokovic served for the match. In his quarter-final against Alexander Zverev, an advertising board had changed its image mid-rally and Zverev had a lost point replayed. “It is one of the most stupid rule changes I have ever heard in my life,” Djokovic ruled, backed by Greg Rusedski: “It is simply unfair,” We Love Tennis reports.

Gauff, drained, skips Wuhan

Beaten 6-3, 6-3 in the Beijing last 16 by Elise Mertens, Coco Gauff has denounced the racist messages she has received since her win over China’s Sun Xinran, a point in that match having been replayed after an advertising board changed image mid-rally. “I’m not going to lie, it has been pretty exhausting,” she said, L’Équipe reports. The defending champion and world No. 4 has withdrawn from the Wuhan WTA 1000, citing the fatigue built up over the season, L’Équipe announces.

Sinner ends his season

Out since his Wimbledon title on 12 July, Jannik Sinner has called an end to his season: “In consultation with the doctors, we decided I had to follow treatment for my knee,” the Italian explained. Learner Tien, the world No. 17, replaces the two-time champion at the Six Kings Slam (21-24 October), L’Équipe notes.

Alcaraz wins Tokyo, with a message for Sinner

Tokyo champion Carlos Alcaraz sent a message to Jannik Sinner, his “greatest rival”, We Love Tennis reports. For Rick Macci, what Alcaraz has achieved “after 139 days away” is “even more impressive than everything he had accomplished before”. After a long break between April and the US Open, the Spaniard seems back to his best.

Fils drops out of the top 10 before Shanghai

Novak Djokovic’s Beijing title has cost Arthur Fils his top-10 place: the 22-year-old Frenchman now sits 11th in the world, before the Shanghai Masters that began on Wednesday, L’Équipe notes.

Shanghai: Fery beats Cilic, Gea and Mannarino advance

Arthur Fery swept past Marin Cilic 7-6 (2), 6-1 in 1 hr 32 in the Shanghai first round: the match preview is online. Arthur Gea got past Portugal’s Jaime Faria (6-7, 6-1, 6-2), L’Équipe notes, and Adrian Mannarino advanced when Nikoloz Basilashvili retired with a left knee injury after losing the first set, L’Équipe reports.