Sinner keeps perfect US Open record in sweep of Popyrin

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Two matches, zero sets dropped.

That’s how you begin your title defense in style.

After an explosive opening win against Vit Kopriva, Jannik Sinner picked up where he left off and kept the engines running over Alexei Popyrin, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2- in the ongoing US Open Grand Slam tournament on Aug. 29, 2025, at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York.

Sinner immediately stole the momentum after breaking Popyrin’s first service hold attempt, en route to a commanding 6-3 win to for a 1-0 lead.

Popyrin showed a decent fight after going toe-to-toe with Sinner during their long baseline rally exchanges but the Australian ace just couldn’t withstand the defending champion’s deep flat ground strokes that were on point the whole match.

Sinner sealed the first 25 minutes of action with a flurry of forehand passing shot winners and three highlight reel return aces.

Although Popyrin played a more consistent defensive game in the following set, Sinner’s deadly cross-court attacks paved the way for another lopsided outing, backstopped by a series of service breaks.

Popyrin targeted Sinner’s backhand in the last three-game sets of the second period in hopes of slowing him down, but the brave strategy went to no avail as the Italian stalwart smothered him with off-the-bounce winners taken from the wide side angle.

The third set followed the same script, with Sinner’s persistent forehand pushing Popyrin to the brink of a second-round elimination.

Despite having standout moments, particularly midway through the second set, the strong-serving Popyrin’s ride was cut short after facing a laser-focused Sinner.

From his trademark baseline winners to an efficient net defense, Sinner outmatched Popyrin, winning 95 total points in just three sets.

“So, I’m very happy about today,” Sinner said during his post-game interview.

“The first-round matches are always different than the further you go on, so I’m very happy that I managed these matches as good as I could.”