NEW YORK – Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek showed grit and resilience on Saturday at the US Open, surviving stern tests to advance on a day when fellow contenders faltered and anticipation built for a headline fourth-round clash between Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff.
World No. 2 and Wimbledon champion Swiatek produced a stirring fightback, recovering from 5-1 down in the first set against Anna Kalinskaya before edging a scrappy contest 7-6(2), 6-4. In a match marked by nine breaks and 67 unforced errors, Swiatek steadied herself at the key moments, saving four set points to seal her 20th major victory of the season, drawing level with defending champion Aryna Sabalenka. “At 5-1 it’s easy to panic, but I stayed calm,” she said. “Sometimes you just have to problem-solve.” The Pole next faces 13th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.
On the men’s side, top seed Sinner also dug deep. The Italian dropped the first set to 27th seed Denis Shapovalov but rallied 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3, extending his unbeaten streak at hardcourt Slams to 24 matches. “I’m not a machine,” said Sinner. “Sometimes I struggle too. Every match is a challenge.” He next meets 23rd seed Alexander Bublik, who outlasted American 14th seed Tommy Paul in five sets.
Not all seeds escaped. World No. 3 Alexander Zverev, still chasing his maiden major, fell 4-6, 7-6(7), 6-4, 6-4 to Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime, his frustrations boiling over as the Canadian’s fearless shot-making turned the tide. Earlier, Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia, seeded 18th, swept past Maria Sakkari 6-1, 6-2 to set up a last-16 clash with Wimbledon runner-up Amanda Anisimova.
Yet the weekend’s most anticipated spectacle is still ahead. Four-time Grand Slam winner Osaka and defending champion Gauff will renew their rivalry on Labor Day in a prime-time showdown six years after their unforgettable 2019 meeting at Flushing Meadows. Then, a 15-year-old Gauff was overawed as Osaka cruised 6-3, 6-0, but the Japanese star’s decision to comfort her tearful opponent and share the spotlight left fans with one of tennis’s most iconic moments.
This time, Gauff arrives as the U.S. Open and Roland Garros champion, seeded third after easing past Magdalena Frech 6-3, 6-1. Osaka, seeded 23rd and returning from maternity leave, battled through 15th seed Daria Kasatkina 6-0, 4-6, 6-3. “It feels like déjà vu,” Gauff said, “but hopefully with a different result.” Even the doubles courts reflected experience and resilience, as 45-year-old Venus Williams and Leylah Fernandez teamed up for a 7-6(1), 6-1 win in their opening match.
