Swiatek and Sinner Showcase Resilience at US Open Amidst High-Profile Exits

At the US Open on Saturday, top contenders Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner exemplified resilience, demonstrating that elite skill must be paired with mental toughness to succeed.

Wimbledon champion Swiatek recovered from a 5-1 deficit in the opening set against Anna Kalinskaya to clinch a 7-6(2), 6-4 victory. The match featured nine breaks of serve and 67 combined unforced errors, highlighting its scrappy nature. Swiatek saved four set points and secured a late break in the second set, marking her 20th major match win this year—tying the defending champion Aryna Sabalenka. She attributed her triumph to maintaining composure and finding solutions under pressure, noting she avoided panic despite trailing early.

Swiatek is scheduled to face 13th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in the round of 16.

World number one Jannik Sinner also demonstrated grit, overcoming a set deficit to defeat 27th seed Denis Shapovalov 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3. The 24-year-old Italian extended his unbeaten run at hardcourt Grand Slam events to 24 matches, emphasizing the critical role of mental resilience.

Conversely, world number three Alexander Zverev’s tournament came to an end after a spirited comeback from Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime, who rallied to win 4-6, 7-6(7), 6-4, 6-4. Zverev showed visible frustration, including smashing his racket, as Auger-Aliassime’s determined play shifted momentum.

Looking ahead, the weekend’s highlight will be a fourth-round clash between former champions Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff. Osaka overcame a mid-match slump to defeat 15th seed Daria Kasatkina 6-0, 4-6, 6-3, while last year’s champion Gauff dominated Magdalena Frech 6-3, 6-1. Their encounter revisits their notable 2019 match, where Osaka prevailed over a tearful 15-year-old Gauff and extended a gesture of sportsmanship by encouraging Gauff to address the crowd.

On the doubles front, veteran Venus Williams, 45, paired with Canada’s Leylah Fernandez to secure their first tournament victory together with a 7-6(1), 6-1 win.

The tournament has also witnessed a significant number of withdrawals, with nine singles players retiring before the conclusion of the third round. Saturday alone saw three retirements: Italy’s Flavio Cobolli, Daniel Altmaier, and Poland’s Kamil Majchrzak.