Jannik Sinner defeated Denis Shapovalov 5-7 6-4 6-3 6-3 in round three of the US Open
Jannik Sinner insisted, "I am not a machine" after he had to dig deep
Sinner next faces Alexander Bublik (23) in round four of the US Open
US Open 2025: Jannik Sinner Insists 'I Am Not A Machine' After Hard-fought Denis Shapovalov Win
US Open 2025: The world No.1 and defending champion battled back from a set down to beat the 27th seed 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 at Flushing Meadows, with Sinner undone by 36 unforced errors, five double faults, and a low first-serve percentage of 58 in a rare off-day on Arthur Ashe
Summary
Jannik Sinner insisted "I am not a machine" after he had to dig deep to defeat Denis Shapovalov in round three of the US Open on Saturday.
The world number one and defending men's singles champion at Flushing Meadows recovered from a set down to defeat the 27th seed 5-7 6-4 6-3 6-3.
Sinner, chasing a fifth career grand slam, had five double faults and 36 unforced errors, while his first-serve percentage was at just 58 in a rare underwhelming showing on Arthur Ashe.
Speaking on court after his victory, Sinner said it is important to remember he will not always be firing on all cylinders.
"I'm not a machine, you know. I also struggle sometimes," said Sinner,
"Today, I felt like I didn't struggle. I was playing great tennis, and he also. Every match is so difficult. The scoreline was a bit against me today, but I just tried to stay there mentally.
"I'm very happy to manage to win today because it was a very important win."
Sinner next faces Alexander Bublik (23) and at 24 years and eight days old, he is now the youngest player to reach the men's singles round of 16 at the US Open in five consecutive years since Lleyton Hewitt (23 years 187 days) in 2004.
Moreover, the Italian is now the first man born since the start of 1990 to make the last 16 at all our grand slams in consecutive seasons.
When speaking at a press conference, Sinner was asked if this victory was a reminder of how difficult it is to defend at a slam.
"No, I'm not thinking about this, because you go day by day. Every day you have one opponent. You just try to play your best tennis possible," he said.
"It's a very long way to say that you can defend a title. Now I can say that I'm in the second week, which is already a great result, and then we see what comes next.
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"You practice for these kind of matches. You practice in trying to get through very tough moments or situations on the court and trying to find solutions.
"At the end of the day, that's the tennis. It was a great match, I feel like, from both sides. It was a bit of rollercoaster. But I'm obviously very happy."
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