Sinner Defends, Swiatek Seeks Victory, and Gauff Adjusts Serve in Second Round

The U.S. Open continues its second round on Thursday, featuring key matches in both the men's and women's draws. Defending men's champion Jannik Sinner is set to face Alexei Popyrin. In the women's draw, second seed Iga Swiatek will compete against Suzan Lamens, while Coco Gauff will take on Donna Vekic.

Jannik Sinner, the world number one, began his title defense with a dominant straight-sets victory over Vit Kopriva. His performance, marked by a strong serve and minimal errors, dispelled concerns about his health following his withdrawal from the Cincinnati Open final. Now, he faces Alexei Popyrin, an Australian player known for his powerful game and net play. Popyrin previously defeated Sinner in their only prior encounter in 2021. Sinner has expressed readiness for the challenges ahead as he seeks his fifth Grand Slam title.

Iga Swiatek, the world number two, secured a comfortable first-round win against Emiliana Arango, dropping only a few games. This victory also allowed Swiatek to surpass Monica Seles's record for consecutive WTA singles opening match wins, highlighting her consistent performance. Her next opponent, Suzan Lamens, is also coming off a strong performance, having reached the second round of the U.S. Open for the first time.

Coco Gauff's campaign for a second U.S. Open title began with a challenging first-round match, marked by a significant number of double faults. Gauff recently changed coaches, hiring Aryna Sabalenka's former serving coach. She is currently working on integrating a revamped serve, which she described as a process similar to learning a new language. Her next match will be against Donna Vekic, who previously defeated her at the Paris Olympics. Gauff is unsure how long it will take for her new serve to become second nature.