Jannik Sinner kept his pursuit of a second consecutive US Open crown alive with a commanding second-round victory over Australia’s Alexei Popyrin on Thursday.
The world number one from Italy required only two hours and one minute to secure a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 win, delivering another performance that highlighted his dominance on the hard courts of New York.
Sinner, who conceded just four games in his opening-round triumph over Vit Kopriva on Tuesday, maintained the same ruthless tempo against Popyrin. The 24-year-old broke his opponent’s serve on five occasions, steadily tightening his grip on the match against the world number 36.
His progress sets up a third-round clash on Saturday against Canada’s 27th seed, Denis Shapovalov, a test that will see Sinner continue his bid to retain the title.
Speaking after the match, Sinner reflected on his approach throughout the opening stages of the tournament. “Obviously, I try to play the best tennis I can; the first round match is always different compared to the further you go (in the tournament),” he said. “I’m very happy that I managed these matches as good as I could. When you are up two sets and a break, you try to serve as best as you can.”
He acknowledged areas for improvement, particularly in his serve, while praising his ability to return well under pressure. “Today, it felt like neither of us served well, but I was returning well and especially on the second serve. I am happy about today. I am aiming to improve on the serve, but the rest (of my game) I am quite comfortable with,” he added.
Sinner’s 2024 season has already seen him make history, reaching the finals of all three Grand Slam tournaments so far. He captured titles at the Australian Open and Wimbledon while suffering a defeat to Carlos Alcaraz at Roland Garros.
As the tournament unfolds, he now seeks to achieve another milestone by becoming the first man to defend the US Open crown since Roger Federer capped his streak of five consecutive victories in 2008.
What you should know
Jannik Sinner, currently ranked world number one, is chasing his second straight US Open title after dominant performances in the early rounds.
With victories at the Australian Open and Wimbledon this year, he is on course to potentially match Roger Federer’s rare achievement of back-to-back titles in New York.
