Jannik Sinner’s Strong Start at the US Open

Just over a week ago, Jannik Sinner was dealing with illness which nearly kept him from competing in the Cincinnati Open final against Carlos Alcaraz. Adding to the worry, he withdrew from the mixed doubles event at the US Open last week, leaving many wondering if he’d be at his best for the final Grand Slam of the season. In fact, he mentioned only recently that he still wasn’t feeling quite right.

However, that time off seemed beneficial. On Tuesday, Sinner looked impressive on the court, easily defeating Vit Kopriva with a score of 6-1, 6-1, 6-2, marking his 22nd consecutive hard-court victory in a Grand Slam.

“I feel in good shape physically,” Sinner stated after the one-hour and 38-minute match at Arthur Ashe Stadium. “I had some solid practice days, especially the last couple. Yeah, I feel physically in a good spot. A good first-round match, so I’m very happy. Let’s see what’s coming.”

Next up for him is Alexei Popyrin, who won his match 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (3) against Emil Ruusuvuori. Notably, Popyrin caused quite the upset last year by defeating Novak Djokovic, the 2023 champion, in the third round.

This was the start Sinner had hoped for; he dropped only four games, didn’t face any break points on his serve, and managed to break Kopriva seven times on ten chances. That’s pretty efficient.

The only minor issue arose late in the third set when Sinner took a medical timeout due to a finger issue, but it didn’t seem to hinder his performance.

At 24, Sinner has won his last three major tournaments on hard courts, including last year’s US Open, as well as the Australian Open in 2024 and 2025. He aims to be the first man since Roger Federer in 2008 to win back-to-back titles at Flushing Meadows, and to join Federer, Rod Laver, and Novak Djokovic in reaching the finals of all four Grand Slams in a single calendar year since the Open era began in 1968.

“Amazing memories. Obviously, every year is different,” Sinner reflected. “You come here hoping to start the tournament as best as possible, which I think I did.”