'Healthy again' Jannik Sinner begins US Open title defence with classy straight-sets victory over Vit Kopriva at Flushing Meadows
By Will Conroy
Updated 26/08/2025 at 21:32 GMT+1
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World No. 1 Jannik Sinner enjoyed the perfect start to his US Open title defence, easing into the second round with a straight-sets victory over Vit Kopriva at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The Italian dropped just four games throughout the entire match as he secured a 6-1 6-1 6-2 triumph. He will now face world No. 36 Alexei Popyrin as he targets the fifth Grand Slam title of his career.
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Video credit: TNT Sports
Jannik Sinner confirmed he is "healthy again" after starting his US Open title defence with a classy straight-sets win over Czechia's Vit Kopriva at Flushing Meadows.
The world No. 1, who is targeting his third Grand Slam title of the season, cruised to victory at Arthur Ashe Stadium, winning 6-1 6-1 6-2 in one hour and 40 minutes.
The Italian looks to have returned to full fitness, having retired from the Cincinnati Open final against Carlos Alcaraz last Monday with illness, which also ruled him out of the US Open's mixed doubles event last week.
Speaking afterwards, Sinner told Sky Sports: "It's a very special tournament, the atmosphere here is amazing. Thanks everyone for coming and cheering and supporting.
"I'm very happy I'm healthy again. We did our best to be in [the] best possible shape and I'm very happy with today's performance.
"Coming back to a Grand Slam where emotions are still running, I'm happy to be here to play against the best players in the world."
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Video credit: TNT Sports
Sinner required four set points to seal the opener but was able to wrap it up in little over half an hour, having broken debutant Kopriva in his opening two service games.
It took the Italian a similar amount of time to double his advantage in the match, securing three breaks of serve in the second set.
Things were not quite as straightforward in the third, with Sinner facing two break points at 4-2, but he saved these with ease before breaking Kopriva's serve one final time to clinch victory.
Sinner will now face world No. 36 Alexei Popyrin in the second round.
He will hope to continue his remarkable hard court record, having now won 27 of his last 28 matches on the surface.
This includes 22 wins in a row at Grand Slam tournaments, with the only defeat in the overall run coming as a result of the retirement in Cincinnati, where he did not drop a set en route to the final.
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The world No. 1 is targeting the fifth Grand Slam tournament win of his career, having won three of the last four on the calendar.
Following his maiden US Open title last September, he defended his Australian Open crown in January before winning at Wimbledon for the first time last month.
His only Grand Slam tournament defeat this season came in the final of the French Open in June, losing to Alcaraz in an epic five-set contest.
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