Sinner Gauff Swiatek and Osaka advance in thrilling US Open

Photo:AP

The US Open 2025 continued with powerful performances and emotional moments on Thursday, August 28. Top stars of world tennis fought hard to keep their championship dreams alive, as the third round began with drama, surprises, and historic wins.

Jannik Sinner’s Dominance

Reigning men’s champion Jannik Sinner showed no signs of slowing down. The Italian star crushed Australia’s Alexei Popyrin 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 in just over two hours. With this win, Sinner stretched his hard court Grand Slam winning streak to 23 matches.

Sinner, the number one seed, is trying to achieve something special — becoming the first man since Roger Federer (2004–2008) to defend the US Open crown.

“I’m very happy with how I managed these matches,” Sinner said. “I still want to improve my serve, but overall I feel confident.”

The 23-year-old now faces Canada’s Denis Shapovalov, seeded 27, in the third round. This season, Sinner has already reached the final of all three Grand Slams, winning the Australian Open and Wimbledon, while finishing runner-up to Carlos Alcaraz at the French Open.

Zverev Marches On

Germany’s Alexander Zverev, the third seed, also had a smooth day. He beat Britain’s Jacob Fearnley in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. Zverev now awaits the winner of Felix Auger-Aliassime (Canada) and Roman Safiullin (Russia).

Zverev has been in excellent form, with 45 match wins this year, second only to Carlos Alcaraz. The German, who was a finalist at the 2020 US Open, is determined to finally lift a Grand Slam trophy after falling short several times.

“I’m here to spoil the party,” Zverev said, referring to the dominance of Sinner and Alcaraz, who have won the last seven Grand Slams.

Rublev and Wong’s Historic Run

Russia’s Andrey Rublev defeated American wild card Tristan Boyer in four sets, setting up a clash with Hong Kong’s Coleman Wong.

Wong, a 21-year-old qualifier, continued his fairytale journey by beating Australia’s Adam Walton 7-6 (7/5), 6-2, 4-6, 6-4. Wong had already made history earlier by becoming the first man from Hong Kong to win a Grand Slam singles match.

“It’s literally something I’ve dreamed of,” Wong said. “Every tennis player wants to keep going in a Slam, and I’m living that dream.”

Khachanov Crashes Out

One of the biggest shocks came when Russian ninth seed Karen Khachanov lost after leading by two sets against Poland’s Kamil Majchrzak. This upset made Khachanov the highest-ranked men’s player to exit so far.

Gauff Fights Through Tears

In the women’s draw, Coco Gauff had a tough night. The 20-year-old American star cried during her match but fought back to beat Croatia’s Donna Vekic 7-6 (7/5), 6-2.

Her serve struggled, and she was broken four times in the first set, but the defending champion found strength to push through.

“Today was really tough, but I’m proud I managed it,” Gauff said, holding back tears.

She revealed that she found inspiration from gymnastics legend Simone Biles, who was watching courtside. “I thought, if she can perform on a tiny beam under pressure, I can hit a ball here,” Gauff said.

Next, Gauff will play Poland’s Magdalena Frech, and a possible fourth-round clash with Naomi Osaka is on the horizon — a matchup that fans around the world are waiting for.

Osaka Rediscovers Her Form

Japan’s Naomi Osaka impressed with a 6-3, 6-1 win against American Hailey Baptiste. Once world number one, Osaka has not reached the later stages of a major since her 2021 Australian Open victory.

When asked about her confidence, Osaka kept it simple: “I’ve trained really hard. If it happens, it happens.”

She now faces 15th seed Daria Kasatkina from Australia in the third round.

Swiatek Survives Scare

World number two Iga Swiatek began the day on Arthur Ashe Stadium and faced a scare against the Netherlands’ Suzan Lamens.

Swiatek won the first set easily but slipped in the second before recovering to win 6-1, 4-6, 6-4.

“It wasn’t easy. The second set got complicated, but I’m glad I reset and came back strong,” Swiatek said.

The 2022 US Open champion has been in brilliant form, winning 16 of her last 17 matches, including Wimbledon and Cincinnati titles. She now plays Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya for a place in the last 16.