Defending champion at the US Open, Sinner cruises through the first round with authority

Jannik Sinner set the tone for the start of his fortnight at Flushing Meadows.

As the defending champion and under pressure in the rankings from his rival Carlos Alcaraz, the Italian faced world No. 89 Vit Kopriva in the first round.

The Czech player, competing in his very first main draw match at the US Open, endured a nightmare on Arthur Ashe Stadium. Sinner, relentless as he often is in early rounds, gave his opponent just four games (6-1, 6-1, 6-2) and extended his winning streak on hard courts in Grand Slams to 22 matches.

A routine victory wrapped up in 1 hour and 39 minutes for the world No. 1, who could face a slightly tougher challenge in the next round if Alexei Popyrin defeats Emil Ruusuvuori.