Sinner advances to US Open fourth round as top rivals falter

Jannik Sinner avoided the fate of his top rivals at the US Open, cruising into the fourth round while fellow top seed Iga Swiatek gained momentum in her pursuit of a sixth Grand Slam title after a pep talk from Serena Williams.

Sinner’s advance comes after major upsets saw defending champion Novak Djokovic eliminated by Alexei Popyrin in the third round, and Carlos Alcaraz crashing out to Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round. With several title contenders already out, the spotlight turned to Sinner, who has been under intense scrutiny following a doping controversy leading up to the tournament.

The Italian delivered a dominant performance against Christopher O’Connell, winning 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 to assert his status as a leading favorite at the final major of the year. Next up for the Australian Open champion is 14th seed Tommy Paul, who is part of a group of American players eager to end the nation’s 21-year wait for a homegrown major winner since Andy Roddick’s 2003 triumph in New York.

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Paul secured his spot in the fourth round after battling back from a first-set loss to beat Canadian Gabriel Diallo 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-1, 7-6(3). He now faces the challenge of countering Sinner’s aggressive, high-paced style of play.