Jannik Sinner breezes past Alex Popyrin, Iga Swiatek takes down Lamens

Defending US Open champion Jannik Sinner continued his impressive run at Flushing Meadows with a dominant straight-set victory over Alex Popyrin on Friday. The top-seeded Italian cruised past the Australian, securing a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 win at the Arthur Ashe Stadium to advance to the third round.

Sinner’s performance was clinical from start to finish. After comfortably wrapping up the opening set on serve, the 24-year-old briefly paused for a physio to trim the bandages on his right foot. He returned with renewed focus, quickly taking control of the second set. Forcing errors from Popyrin and mixing powerful groundstrokes with delicate drop shots, Sinner demonstrated the full range of his game while facing minimal resistance, closing the match with authority over the world No. 36.

On the women’s side, top seeds Iga Swiatek and Naomi Osaka also secured second-round victories, setting up promising third-round encounters. Swiatek, the second seed, faced a brief scare against Dutch challenger Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove. The match stretched to a deciding third set after Kerkhove captured the second set, capitalizing on unforced errors from Swiatek. However, the reigning French Open champion regained composure to close out the contest with a decisive ace. Swiatek will now face 29th seed Anna Kalinskaya.

“I felt like it depended on me and my mistakes,” Swiatek said. “I got a little tight in the second set, but I could reset in the third and be more proactive.”

Two-time US Open champion Naomi Osaka also advanced, marking her first third-round appearance at Flushing Meadows since 2021. The Japanese star, sporting a sparkling purple outfit and accompanied by her Labubu charm “Arthur Flash,” faced early resistance but found her rhythm in the sixth game with her signature powerful forehand. Osaka’s next opponent will be either 15th seed Daria Kasatkina or Kamilla Rakhimova.

“I was focused on not giving free points and staying positive,” Osaka said. “Once I found my timing, I could play my game.”

Friday’s matches set the stage for a high-stakes third round, with top seeds looking to maintain momentum as the US Open heads into the second week of competition.