In a striking display of resilience at the 2025 US Open, top-ranked players Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek demonstrated that even elite athletes face challenges that require quick thinking and adaptation.
Wimbledon champion Swiatek epitomized the day’s narrative by making a remarkable comeback from a 5-1 deficit in the first set against Anna Kalinskaya, eventually winning 7-6(2), 6-4 in a tense third-round match on Saturday.
“I’m really pleased that I managed to turn things around and kept problem-solving,” Swiatek expressed. “It was definitely a tough match.”
Despite not being at her best, with nine breaks of serve and a total of 67 unforced errors from both competitors, Swiatek’s grit was evident. She saved four set points in the crucial first set and seized a late break in the second, marking her 20th major match victory of the year—tying her with defending champion and world number one Aryna Sabalenka.
As she noted, “Finding strategies can be really difficult. You have to be mentally flexible about addressing what you can do. It was a solid day for me; when you’re down 5-1, it’s easy to panic—I managed to stay calm.”
Her reward? A round-of-16 clash against 13th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Similarly, world number one Sinner displayed remarkable fortitude by bouncing back after losing the first set to 27th seed Denis Shapovalov, ultimately winning 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3.
The 24-year-old Italian has now extended his unbeaten streak at hardcourt Grand Slam tournaments to 24 matches, a testament to not only his talent but also his capacity for adapting when necessary.
“I’m not a machine; I experience struggles just like anyone else,” Sinner remarked, recalling their last encounter when he lost to Shapovalov in the 2021 Australian Open. “Every match presents its own difficulties. There are players who possess greater talent, and he’s one of them. I focused on maintaining my mental strength.”
Zverev Faces Disappointment Again
Not all top seeds found success on this action-packed day.
World number three Alexander Zverev, still in pursuit of his first Grand Slam title, exited the tournament in frustration as Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime, after dropping the first set, made a stunning comeback to win 4-6, 7-6(7), 6-4, 6-4.
Zverev became increasingly unsettled as the match progressed, visibly frustrated when Auger-Aliassime’s fearless play shifted the momentum.
The weekend also promises an intriguing clash, as Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff are set to face off in the fourth round—an encounter that’s bound to capture attention in the tournament’s second week. Four-time major champion Osaka overcame a mid-match dip to secure a 6-0, 4-6, 6-3 victory over 15th seed Daria Kasatkina, while last year’s champ Gauff breezed past Poland’s Magdalena Frech with a commanding 6-3, 6-1 win.
US Open organizers couldn’t have scripted it better: a thrilling bout between two charismatic former champions, six years after their memorable first clash at Flushing Meadows. In their 2019 matchup, defending champion Osaka delivered a 6-3, 6-0 victory over a tearful 15-year-old Gauff, later comforting her and encouraging her to address the audience—a gesture that captivated the crowd.
“It would feel like a unique deja vu, but my aim is for a different outcome this time,” Gauff said.
Six years after their first meeting in NYC, Coco and Naomi meet again in Round 4 🤩 pic.twitter.com/SzSKAbnCFh
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 30, 2025
Even the doubles competition reflected the themes of experience and resolve, as 45-year-old Venus Williams partnered with Canada’s Leylah Fernandez, triumphing 7-6(1), 6-1 against Ulrikke Eikeri and Eri Hozumi in their debut tournament together.
On another note, Andrey Rublev brought an end to Coleman Wong’s fairytale run in five sets.
Saturday also saw three more retirements in the men’s bracket, following sixth seed Ben Shelton’s injury-induced exit the previous day. Alex de Minaur, Lorenzo Musetti, and Swiss qualifier Leandro Riedi, ranked 435th, all advanced due to their opponents’ withdrawals.
Wimbledon runner-up Amanda Anisimova secured a hard-fought victory against Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian, winning 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, while Czech 11th seed Karolina Muchova and Ukrainian 27th seed Marta Kostyuk both triumphed in three-set matches.