Jannik Sinner needed a bit of time to find his stride in his latest US Open bout on Tuesday in New York. The World No. 1 had a rocky start but soon found his groove, securing his place in the second round of the hard-court major.
Overcoming Early Challenges
Sinner battled through a challenging first set against home favorite Mackenzie McDonald, eventually prevailing 2-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-2 in Arthur Ashe Stadium. This win sets him up for a second-round clash against another American, Alex Michelsen. Initially, McDonald’s precise baseline shots seemed to trouble the Italian, but Sinner’s resilience paid off, culminating in a two-hour, 23-minute victory.
“I didn’t start in the best way, undoubtedly,” Sinner admitted post-match. “The first match in any tournament is always tough. McDonald played exceptionally well early on. I focused on staying mentally strong and tried to find my rhythm, which I did in the second set. From there, it was about maintaining that momentum, so I’m thrilled to advance. Winning here on this court for the first time after several tries is a big milestone.”
During the first set, Sinner struggled with his serve, getting broken three times. However, he turned things around dramatically, converting seven out of 13 break points across the remaining sets. Impressively, Sinner remains undefeated in the first rounds of tour-level events this year, boasting a 12-0 record. His streak in Grand Slam openers stretches back to Wimbledon 2021, also standing at 12-0.
“We take it one day at a time. I have a day off tomorrow to get a bit more rhythm and make some adjustments for the upcoming match,” stated Sinner, who recently defeated Michelsen just 13 days ago in Cincinnati, marking their first ATP Head2Head encounter. “There’s definitely room for improvement, so I’m eager for the next challenge and curious to see how I perform.”
Sinner, who claimed his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January and clinched his third ATP Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati, boasts a remarkable 49-5 for the season. Leading the PIF ATP Live Race to Turin, the 22-year-old aims to secure his sixth singles title of the year during this fortnight in New York.
