World No.1 Jannik Sinner escaped his first sticky situation of the 2025 US Open as he overcame Denis Shapovalov 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 for the third round victory at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York.
Sinner was given a stern test by Shapovalov but the Italian was typically clinical in engineering a dramatic mid-match shift in momentum that included him winning nine consecutive games to turn a potential upset into an ultimately comfortable third-round win.
“It was a very, very tough match today. I’ve known Denis for quite a while, so I knew that I would have to play at a high level today. I’m very happy that I managed to win. He started off very well. I just tried to stay there mentally,” Sinner was quoted as saying by the ATP Tour.
Sinner, who did not drop more than three games in a single set across his first two rounds at Flushing Meadows, won 12 of the final 15 games against Shapovalov to extend his winning streak at hard-court majors to 24 matches.
Jannik Sinner Scripts History After His Win Against Denis Shapovalov
After his three-hour, 12-minute victory against Denis Shapovalov at US Open 2025, the 24-year-old became the fourth-youngest man to win 20 matches at all four Grand Slam tournaments after Rafael Nadal, Boris Becker and Novak Djokovic.
“Week two is completely different. You see less people behind the scenes. That’s always a great sign that I’m still here,” said Sinner.
“It’s getting tougher and tougher physically and mentally. It’s obviously a special place for me. The first time that I played the main draw in a Grand Slam was here, and I won last year,” he added.
Now 34-4 for the season, as per ATP Win/Loss Index, Sinner will take on 14th seed Tommy Paul or 23rd seed Alexander Bublik on Monday for a quarter-final spot.
Aside from Carlos Alcaraz, who has defeated Sinner three times in 2025, Bublik is the only other man to have won against the Italian in 2025. Notaly, the Kazakhstani beat Sinner in three sets on the Halle grass in June.
Sinner, who is aiming to become the first player to defend the US Open men’s singles title since Roger Federer in 200, has also kept alive his hopes of remaining World No. 1 after the US Open.
The 24-year-old Sinner must outperform Alcaraz at the New York major in order to prevent the Spaniard from reclaiming top spot.