By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, August 30, 2025
Photo credit: Jed Jacobsohn/ROLEX
NEW YORK—Sliding behind the baseline, Jannik Sinner put his palm down on court to prevent a possible face-plant on the Arthur Ashe Stadium hard court.
For two-and-half sets today, Denis Shapovalov stunned and staggered Sinner seizing a 3-0 third-set lead.
World No. 1 Sinner steadied himself from the onslaught then surged through nine games in a row to take charge.
Ultimately, Sinner survived a tough test scoring a 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Shapovalov to score his 10th straight major win in advancing to the US Open fourth round. Sinner has now reached the fourth round or better in 10 consecutive Grand Slam appearances.
This was by far Sinner’s most severe challenge of the tournament.
Remember, he surrendered just 11 games total in wins over Vit Kopriva and Alexei Popyrin in reaching the third round.
Credit flashy shotmaker Shapovalov for fearlessly standing toe-to-toe with the top seed—and coming out on top in several crackling exchanges.
Seeking his fifth straight Grand Slam final, Sinner plays like a tennis terminator in majors. Today, he showed he’s human.
Sinner did not serve his best and for long stretches he inexplicably played the left-handed Canadian’s stronger forehand wing rather than trying to force the fired-up Shapo to beat him with his one-handed backhand, which is a strong shot, but is predicated on a lengthy backswing.
Two keys to Sinner’s turnaround:
1. Shapovalov got bit by the double fault bug, spitting up four of his nine double faults in that crucial third-set.
2. Sinner started serving with more command sparking that nine-game surge.
Outgunned at times in the opening set, Sinner was squinting into the sun staring down set point. Sinner double faulted on set point—one of five doubles on the day—as Shapovalov took a one-set lead.
Though the Canadian was striking with confidence, Shapovalov hit a sloppy stretch in the seventh game of the second set. A series of errors culminated with Shapovalov slapping a backhand into net giving Sinner the love break and a 4-3 lead.
The top seed backed up the break at 30, drawing another Shapovalov backhand error, to hold for 5-3.
Growing sharper as the set progressed, Sinner served out the second set at love, leveling the match after one hours, 40 minutes. Sinner served 57 percent and won 15 of 16 first-serve points in that second set.
Resetting, Shapovalov surged out to a 3-0 third-set lead permitting just three points in those three games.
The Wimbledon winner was in danger of going down 1-4 as Shapovalov served at deuce. Sinner broke a shoelace on his Nike shoes, pausing play for an orthotics and shoe switch—and giving Shapovalov plenty of time to think about this situation.
The Canadian sprayed successive errors as Sinner broke back for 2-3. Sinner stamped a quick hold to level after six games.
Though Shapovalov can play explosive first strike tennis, he can lose the plot on serve. Down love-40 in the seventh game, Shapovalov saved three break points in a row. Sinner ran down a drop shot then popped his reply off the tape. Though the Canadian extended the point, Sinner answered with a volley and smash for a fourth break point.
This time, Shapovalov coughed up his third double fault of the game—and eighth of the match—ceding the break and a 4-3 lead to the reigning champion. As he trudged to his court-side seat, Shapovalov issued a sarcastic thumbs-up to his coach, Mikael Tillstrom.
Seeing his opponent’s frustration, Sinner streaked through 10 of the next 12 points seizing his sixth straight game to take a third set in which he nearly was down double break.
The four-time Slam champion cruised through nine consecutive games in building a 3-0 lead in the fourth set.
An ornery Shapovalov, who sprayed 47 unforced errors, eventually made a let pushing earning a break point in the last game which would have put him back on serve.
Sinner squelched the uprising closing out a challenging match in three hours, 12 minutes.
Next up for Sinner is either 23rd-seeded Alexander Bublik, who upset Sinner on grass en route to the Halle title in June, or 14th-seeded American Tommy Paul, in what would be a rematch of the 2024 US Open round of 16. Sinner won that match 7-6(3), 7-6(5), 6-1 and has beaten Paul in four of five meetings.
