Under the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium, World No. 1 Jannik Sinner continued his hard-court mastery at the US Open with a commanding straight-sets win over Alexei Popyrin. The defending champion, aiming to become the first man since Roger Federer in 2008 to defend the US Open mens singles crown, seized control early with a 6-3 opening set.
The 24-year-old Italian stepped up his intensity in the second set, mixing deep groundstrokes with a well-timed drop shot to close it 6-2. A forehand winner clinched another break in the third, and Sinner served an ace to seal the match by the same score. Having already lifted the Australian Open trophies in 2024 and 2025 and last years US Open title, Sinner now boasts a 23-match winning streak at hard-court majors.
By leveling his head-to-head record with Popyrin at 1-1, Sinner also kept alive his bid to remain World No. 1 after this tournament. Next up is Canadian Denis Shapovalov, setting the stage for another high-stakes clash under the New York lights.
"Today, I felt we both didnt serve great, but I was returning very well, especially on the second serve," Sinner reflected. "Im happy with the day; I want to keep improving my serve, but overall I feel quite comfortable."
As the tournament advances, Sinners blend of power and precision has fans around the globe on the edge of their seats—can he carve out his place in Grand Slam history this September?
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
