Sinner Crushes Kopriva to Begin US Open Title Defence

Sinner Crushes Kopriva to Begin US Open Title Defence

World number one Jannik Sinner began his US Open 2025 campaign in commanding fashion, dismantling Czech opponent Vit Kopriva 6-1, 6-1, 6-2 in just 98 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Returning to Flushing Meadows as the defending champion, the 24-year-old Italian showed no signs of the illness that had forced his retirement in last week’s Cincinnati final against Carlos Alcaraz. Looking sharp and clinical, Sinner dropped only four games in a performance that reinforced his status as the man to beat.

“I’m very happy that I’m healthy again and that we did our best to be in the best possible shape here,” said Sinner after the match.

Kopriva, ranked 89th and playing his first main draw match in New York, was unable to match Sinner’s pace and precision. The Italian extended his remarkable run to 22 consecutive wins at hard-court Grand Slams — a streak that includes his 2024 US Open triumph, the 2025 Australian Open, and Wimbledon 2025.

His only Grand Slam loss of the year came at Roland-Garros, where he fell to rival Alcaraz in a thrilling final.

“Coming back to a Grand Slam, where the emotions are still running – I’m very happy to come back here and compete against the best players in the world,” Sinner added.

Next, Sinner will face Australia’s world number 36 Alexei Popyrin, who advanced after a straight-sets win over Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori.

Other First-Round Highlights

Sinner’s fellow Italian, Lorenzo Musetti, also progressed with a 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 win over France’s Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. Musetti, the 10th seed, did not face a single break point and notched his first win since withdrawing from his French Open semi-final in June.

Kazakhstan’s 23rd seed Alexander Bublik ousted former US Open champion Marin Cilic 6-4, 6-1, 6-4, while Canada’s Denis Shapovalov breezed past Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics 6-0, 6-4, 6-4.

With top names delivering strong early performances, the US Open 2025 is already shaping up to be a thrilling ride through Flushing Meadows.