The Philippine Star
August 25, 2025 | 12:00am
Chase for uncommon us open repeat on for Sinner, Sabalenka
NEW YORK — Defending champions Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka are chasing uncommon repeat US Open triumphs as the ultimate Grand Slam of the season will get below means in New York on Sunday.
Ladies’s world primary Sabalenka opens the protection of her 2024 crown on the Billie Jean King Nationwide Tennis Heart’s Arthur Ashe Stadium showcourt towards unseeded Swiss participant Rebeka Masarova in one of many highlights of the opening day of the singles, which is being held on a Sunday for the primary time in historical past.
Italy’s world primary Sinner, in the meantime, begins his bid for back-to-back titles on Monday, when he takes on unseeded Czech Vit Kopriva.
Each Sabalenka and Sinner are trying to turn into the primary gamers to efficiently defend their titles for greater than a decade.
No girl has repeated on the US Open since Serena Williams gained the final of a hat-trick of titles in 2014 following wins in 2013 and 2012.
On the lads’s aspect, it has been 17 lengthy years since a succesful title protection, with Roger Federer’s 2008 victory capping a outstanding run of 5 straight championships.
Sabalenka believes issue in repeating is a part of the problem of Flushing Meadows fortnight, the place all the things is noisier, flashier and easily greater than different Grand Slams.
“I feel it’s plenty of stress, positively,” the Belarusian mentioned.
“Simply because this place is so huge, and it feels greater than the opposite slams in some methods.
“Possibly each time defending champions comes they usually put a lot stress on themselves. However I really feel like I’m skilled sufficient to simply give attention to myself and attempt to replicate that consequence.”
Requested for her ideas on the truth that the final 11 US Open titles have been break up by 10 gamers, Sabalenka quipped: “My thought is to alter it.”
Sinner echoed Sabalenka’s feedback, attributing the issue of repeating in New York to a mixture of things – season-ending fatigue, scheduling of video games and measurement.
“We’re heading in direction of the tip of the season, so some gamers, they’re drained,” Sinner mentioned.
“It’s additionally the final huge trophy of the 12 months. Issues can change… I don’t know what’s gonna occur this time. However in fact it’s a really, very tough event to play.”