The defending champion has wrapped up his first match at the US Open and things are looking good! There was plenty of worry in the air. Many wondered if Jannik Sinner would be in shape after illness forced him to pull out of the Cincinnati Open final. He retired just 23 minutes into the match against Carlos Alcaraz only last week. But now, he’s back in New York with the racquet in hand. The big question: is he ready?

Well, it seems so! The World No.1 showed no signs of trouble against Vit Kopriva. He stormed through in pure Sinner style, taking the match with a swift straight-set win: 6-1, 6-1, 6-2 over the Czech. Since August 21, he was already back on the practice courts. Today, after the win, he spoke about how it feels to return after being down with the flu.

After his match, Jannik Sinner sounded upbeat and confident. “It feels great to be back here. Obviously it’s a very special tournament. The last Slam of the year. The atmosphere is always amazing here. Thanks everyone for coming and cheering and supporting. Very happy that I’m healthy again. We did our best to be in the best possible shape here. I’m very happy today’s performance. Let’s see what’s coming,” he said. The fans loved every word, as the Italian reminded them he’s here to fight.

Happy. Healthy. And back to conquering courts. But what exactly happened to Jannik in Cincinnati? His coach, Darren Cahill, explained it to SportsCenter. “Sinner contracted a small virus on Sunday that worsened the next day. We hope to have him back on the courts tomorrow.” At the time, many fans questioned if his US Open title defense was in jeopardy. Now, Jannik Sinner has put all doubts to rest! Catch more updates on the World No.1 and more on our Live Blog!

Speculation swirled over whether Jannik Sinner would even make it back in shape for the US Open. On August 20, health expert Steven Buchwald of Manhattan Mental Health told Express Sport, “Athlete withdrawals often signal a combination of physical and psychological stress.” For Sinner, the warning signs were real. He had fought through a string of tough matches without pulling out, but the signs were there. “In Sinner’s case, subtle body language cues like slowed footwork, shallow breathing, head tilts, and brief pauses between points may have indicated his body was under strain,” Buchwald explained.

Cincinnati only added to the worry. That final marked the fourth meeting of the season between Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, every one of them in a tour-level final. But from the first ball, Sinner looked out of rhythm. He dropped seven straight points, called a medical timeout after being broken three times, and admitted to the umpire, “I feel like I can collapse at any moment.” And pulling out wasn’t easy — he put his fans first even in that moment.

Jannik Sinner’s US Open confession following withdrawal

After the drama in Cincinnati, Sinner even had to pull out of the US Open mixed doubles that was set for the very next day. At first, he was supposed to debut with American Emma Navarro, but when she withdrew, the Italian was slated to team up with doubles ace Katerina Siniakova. Illness ruined that opportunity, and the debut moment slipped away.

Sinner chose to keep looking forward. Talking to ATP, he reflected on the week as a learning curve. “Now I have already some points where I need to improve if I want to go far in US Open. And it was a good test this week, trying to understand where my level is. My level is, is in a good spot, for sure, but in the other way, there’s still room to improve. So, but yeah, it was, was a great week.” With the mixed doubles in New York offering a $1 million prize, the Italian was already setting his sights higher.

While the mixed doubles event didn’t turn out the way he hoped, he still looked forward to defending his title at the US Open. For him, a Slam always fuels a deeper fire. “I love Grand Slams a lot. This is the main, main tournaments for, for my season and, you know, for my career. So US Open is going to be tough tournament, but in the same time, I’m looking forward to it. If I’m ready, physically and mentally, I’m, I will be ready to push.” That ambition is loud and clear.

And the momentum seems right. Up next, the Italian takes on Alexei Popyrin for a spot in the next round. The Aussie leads their head-to-head 1-0 after a win back in Madrid 2021, which adds some spice to this showdown. Can Sinner flip the script this time? Or will Popyrin keep the edge? Share your take in the comments!