Jannik Sinner continued his quest for US Open glory in impressive fashion by beating home hopeful Alex Michelsen in straight sets at Flushing Meadows. 

Sinner, who is aiming to secure a second grand slam of 2024, needed just an hour and 39 minutes to dispatch his American opponent, emerging a 6-4 6-0 6-2 victor.  

The world number one navigated a difficult opening set, seeing his opening game break evaporate immediately before a break point in the ninth game gave him the early advantage. 

Sinner would showcase his class in the second, dropping 11 points throughout the entirety of the set to go within touching distance of advancing to the third round. 

Michelsen would match his opponent for the opening games of the third set, but a break in the fifth game proved decisive, with Sinner able to cruise to victory from then on.

The Italian's triumph set up a meeting with Australian Christopher O'Connell after overcoming a scare against Italian qualifier Mattia Bellucci in four sets. 

Data Debrief: The Italian job

Sinner's triumph over Michelsen saw him achieve consecutive 50-win seasons at ATP level, becoming the first Italian in the Open Era to reach that number.

The world number one impressed on serve, winning 30 of his 37 first-serve points, while also hitting 23 winners compared to the American's 15. 

Jannik Sinner survived an early scare in the US Open first round after overcoming Mackenzie McDonald on Tuesday.

The Italian managed a 2-6 6-2 6-1 6-2 victory over the world number 140, having looked well off the pace in the opening set.

McDonald's fellow American Alex Michelsen awaits in the second round for Sinner, who triumphed in his first major match since an independent tribunal cleared any wrongdoing from positive tests for banned substances.

The world number one may have been impacted by those ongoing off the court and was slow to get going, dropping his serve three times en route to a first-set concession.

Sinner held off seven break-point opportunities from the home favourite in that opener, and improved from then on, losing on his serve just once in the second set.

The 23-year-old never looked back from that second-set clincher, easing to victory in just under two-and-a-half hours.

Data Debrief: Super Sinner flying

Sinner, who won his maiden major trophy at the Australian Open in January, is now 49-5 for the season after an impressive 2024.

That run includes lifting a third ATP Masters 1000 crown in Cincinnati last week, where he overcame his next opponent Michelsen in the pair's only ATP Tour meeting to date.

When Novak Djokovic triumphed at Flushing Meadows last year, he surely thought the outright record for grand slam titles was all but his.

Yet just shy of a year later, Djokovic is still waiting for his 25th major win - and the one that would take him clear of Margaret Court, making him the undisputed greatest of all time.

He came close at Wimbledon, but Carlos Alcaraz ultimately had too much, with the Spaniard winning the final in straight sets.

Alcaraz, the 2022 US Open champion, will be one of the most likely candidates scrapping it out for Djokovic's crown over the next two weeks, along with world number one Jannik Sinner.

Djokovic avenged that Wimbledon defeat with a 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-2) win over Alcaraz in the final of the Paris Olympics, with the 37-year-old ending his wait for a gold medal.

But while that gold is now hanging around his neck (or, in his trophy cabinet, which must be pretty big), it did not settle Djokovic's desire for that record-breaking major triumph. His next tournament win would also bring up his 100th career title.

Should Djokovic fail to defend his crown, though, it will be just the fourth year since he won his first major in 2008 that he has not won a grand slam in a season, after 2009, 2010 and 2017.

But what do the Opta statistics tell us about the key storylines ahead of the US Open?

Can Djokovic dominate?

Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras and Roger Federer have won the US Open a joint-record five times each. Should Djokovic win, he will join that illustrious trio on five Flushing Meadows titles.

Connors has appeared in (115) and won (98) the most singles matches of any player in the Open Era at the tournament, but Djokovic (88) has won the most among active players and could equal Federer (89) for the second-most by defeating Radu Albot in round one on Monday.

Should Djokovic reach the second round, he will also match Federer's tally of matches played in the competition (103).

At 87.1%, Djokovic holds the second-best win percentage at the US Open in the Open Era of players to have featured in at least 30 matches at the event, after Sampras (88.8%).

The Serbian great, who became the oldest player to win the men's singles at the US Open when he succeeded at the age of 36 years and 111 days in 2023, has featured in the most men's singles finals in the tournament's history (10). He is the only player in the Open Era to have reached 10+ finals at multiple grand slams, having also done so at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

Should he reach the quarter-finals, barring walkovers, Djokovic will surpass Federer (429) for the most matches played at grand slams in the Open Era. If he were to then reach the last four, he would be the first male to appear in 50 major semi-finals, and the second player overall after Chris Evert (52). 

Connors (109) and Federer (103) are the only players to win 100 Tour-level titles, while Djokovic is chasing his 72nd hard-court title, which would take him clear of Federer (71).

Could the kids have too much?

Djokovic may have outfought Alcaraz at the Olympics, but that was only after he had been dispatched by the world number three at the All-England Club.

Alcaraz, who said he had played his worst-ever tennis during a shock defeat to Gael Monfils at the Cincinnati Open earlier this month, could become only the third player in the Open Era to win the men's singles title at Roland-Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open in the same year after Rod Laver (1968) and Rafael Nadal (2010).

Aged 21 years and 126 days, he would also be the youngest man to win a singles title at three grand slams in a calendar year. He won his first major title at Flushing Meadows two years ago, and reached the semi-finals last season, losing to eventual runner-up Daniil Medvedev.

Then there is the world number one, and top seed, Sinner. The Italian was forced to miss the Olympics due to illness, but after going out in the last eight at the Canadian Open, he returned to form with a sensational run to triumph in Cincinnati.

That was his fourth title of the season. Excluding team events, Sinner (23 years, 23 days) could become the youngest player to win five ATP trophies on hard court in a calendar year since Andy Murray in 2009.

Since the Australian Open switched to hard court in 1988, Sinner could become only the fourth male to win that competition and US Open in the same year, after Mats Wilander (1988), Roger Federer (2004, 2006 and 2007) and Djokovic (2011, 2015 and 2023).

Sinner has now won three ATP 1000 hard-court titles in total. Across the past decade, only three players have won more Masters titles on the surface: Djokovic (17), Federer (seven) and Medvedev (five).

The last top seed to lose in their opening match at the US Open was Stefan Edberg, who lost to Alexander Volkov in 1990.

Indeed, the US Open is certainly not a tournament in which you can confidently say "expect the unexpected" when it comes to major shocks.

Only two top seeds in the Open Era have been eliminated in the first round of the men's singles – John Newcombe (1971) and Stefan Edberg (1990). Andre Agassi is the last first seed to not reach the second week at the event, losing to Arnaud Clement in straight sets back in 2000. 

Carlos Alcaraz will begin his bid for a third straight grand slam success against a qualifier at the US Open, while top seed Jannik Sinner will face Mackenzie McDonald in the first round.

Alcaraz won his fourth major title at Wimbledon in July, dominating Novak Djokovic in the final after also triumphing at the 2022 US Open, Wimbledon in 2023 and the French Open earlier this year.

Should the Spaniard progress through his first-round match, he could take on Botic van de Zandschulp in round two and Britain's Jack Draper in the third round.

Seeded third, Alcaraz could face world number one Sinner in the semi-finals, with the Italian starting his campaign against a home favourite in McDonald.

Sinner recently avoided a ban after twice testing positive for banned substance clostebol, with an independent tribunal finding he was inadvertently given the steroid in an over-the-counter spray by his physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi.

On the other side of the men's draw, Djokovic will also start against a qualifier as he bids to finally surpass Margaret Court's overall record of 24 grand slam titles.

Djokovic won his 24th major crown at the 2023 tournament at Flushing Meadows, beating Daniil Medvedev in straight sets in the final.

He has struggled to find top gear at this year's grand slams, though he did claim his first Olympic gold medal by beating Alcaraz in the showpiece match at Roland-Garros.

In the women's draw, top seed Iga Swiatek will start against a qualifier while Coco Gauff will open her title defence by taking on Varvara Gracheva, with a testing third-round date with Elina Svitolina potentially on the cards for the third-seeded American.

Aryna Sabalenka joins Swiatek in facing a qualifier first, while there is a tricky draw for 2021 US Open winner Emma Raducanu, who is set for her first Flushing Meadows appearance since 2022.

She will take on the United States' 2020 Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin, with the victor set to face another American in round two, in either Shelby Rogers or sixth seed Jessica Pegula. 

The first round of the US Open begins on Monday, with the women's singles final set for September 7 and the men's showpiece match taking place one day later.

World number one Jannik Sinner has been "worn down physically and mentally" by an investigation into his positive tests for a banned substance, says his coach Darren Cahill.

In March, Australian Open champion Sinner twice tested positive for clostebol – a banned substance that can be used to build muscle mass.

However, an independent tribunal last week found he was inadvertently given the substance in an over-the-counter spray by his physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi.

Sinner has won ATP-level titles at Halle and Cincinnati since the positive tests, but he was eliminated from the French Open at the semi-final stage and only reached the last eight at Wimbledon.

He then missed the Paris Olympic Games after being diagnosed with tonsillitis, and Cahill feels it was no coincidence that he failed to hit top form while the probe was ongoing.

"I guess if you are not a Jannik fan, you may not see too much difference in what he has been doing the last few months because he has still been playing quite well," Cahill told ESPN.

"But if you are a Jannik fan, you would have seen a big change in his body language, his physicality on the court, his excitement to be on the court.

"He's struggled and I think it's worn him down physically and mentally. He got tonsillitis, which is the reason why he missed the Olympics."

Some have been critical of the decision to clear Sinner of any wrongdoing, with 2022 Wimbledon runner-up Nick Kyrgios particularly vocal in his reaction.

Kyrgios wrote on X it was "ridiculous" that Sinner had escaped a ban, saying the Italian deserved to be hit with a two-year suspension.

Former Wimbledon semi-finalist Denis Shapovalov also suggested the decision was at odds with other players receiving bans over similar incidents.

Cahill, however, is of the belief Sinner would never intentionally take a banned substance, adding: "I just want to stress that he's maybe the most professional young man that I have ever had the chance to work with. 

"He would never ever intentionally do anything, and he's in a situation that is incredibly unfortunate."

Jannik Sinner has been cleared after twice testing positive for a banned substance in March.

The world number one tested positive for low levels of a metabolite of clostebol – a steroid that can be used to build muscle mass – during Indian Wells.

Sinner was notified about the positive tests in April and was originally given a provisional suspension, but he successfully challenged it and was able to keep playing.

The Italian had been inadvertently contaminated by the substance from his physiotherapist, who had used an over-the-counter spray for a cut on his own hand before treating Sinner, the International Tennis Integrity Agency's (ITIA) investigation found.

The ITIA accepted the explanation that the contamination was not intentional, and the 23-year-old was cleared of all fault or negligence by an independent tribunal last week.

Sinner will still lose the ranking points won at Indian Wells, where he was beaten in the semi-finals by eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz.

"I will now put this challenging and deeply unfortunate period behind me," Sinner said in his statement.

"I will continue to do everything I can to ensure I continue to comply with the ITIA's anti-doping programme, and I have a team around me that are meticulous in their own compliance."

The ATP praised the work done by the ITIA during their investigation to get to the right outcomes about the Cincinnati Open winner.

"We are encouraged that no fault or negligence has been found on Jannik Sinner's part," the ATP posted on X.

"We would also like to acknowledge the robustness of the investigation process and independent evaluation of the facts under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP), which has allowed him to continue competing.

"This has been a challenging matter for Jannik and his team and underscores the need for players and their entourages to take utmost care in the use of products or treatments. Integrity is paramount in our sport."

Sinner will next be in action at the US Open, which starts on August 26 in New York.

Jannik Sinner won his fifth ATP tour title of the season on Monday, beating Frances Tiafoe in straight sets to win the Cincinnati Open.

The world number one took one hour and 37 minutes to earn his 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 victory, having battled through back-to-back three-setters in order to reach the final.

Sinner has been hampered by a hip injury, picked up during the Madrid Open in May, but rallied to get past the Frenchman.

"It was a very difficult week, tough week. I'm very happy about today's match," Sinner said in his on-court interview.

"It was very tough mentally. Had such an amazing run here, and I tried to do my best today.

"We both were quite tired from yesterday. We both felt a lot of tension, but I'm very glad about [the] level I played today, especially in the important moments."

There was little to separate the two in the first set, as they matched each other all the way to a tie-break, with Sinner eventually pulling in front to take the lead.

The Italian then got a vital break in the first game of the second set, taking confidence as he edged in front.

Tiafoe kept up the fight though, and successfully defended match point three times in the penultimate game, but he could only delay the inevitable as Sinner served to love in the last to get his hands on the trophy.

"It has been a tough week, some ups and downs, which is normal to have," Sinner added. "But how I handled the very important moments in each match, I'm very happy.

"I'm very happy to be in a position where I am and just trying to keep going mentally, having this hunger to keep playing, and hopefully, I can show some good tennis also in New York."

Data Debrief: Golden touch

Sinner has won his 15th career ATP title from 19 finals, equalling Carlos Alcaraz and Lleyton Hewitt (19). Only Rafael Nadal (17) has won more from his first 19 ATP event finals in the Open Era.

It is also his third ATP Masters 1000 title on hard court. In the past decade, only three players have won more Masters titles on the surface - Novak Djokovic (17), Roger Federer (seven) and Daniil Medvedev (five).

Jannik Sinner was proud of overcoming a "difficult moment" to reach the Cincinnati Open final after dramatically outlasting Alexander Zverev in a third set tie-break. 

Sinner, who was seen visibly struggling with a hip injury for parts of the contest, eventually emerged a 7-6 (11-9) 5-7 7-6 (7-4) victor in over three hours in Ohio. 

The world number one picked up the injury in Madrid back in May, further aggravating it in his shock quarter-final defeat by Andrey Rublev at the Canadian Open. 

"It means a lot to me. It's a very different moment, what I'm going through, so I'm very happy about this result," Sinner said in an on-court interview.

"The physical aspect, of course, I have to improve, because if I want to win grand slams or a bigger title, I have to be, for sure, more in shape.

"But I just tried to stay there mentally, which I'm very proud (of), and let's see what's coming tomorrow."

Zverev started brightly and was three points away from serving out the opening set until the Italian levelled at 5-5, only for rain to interrupt play. 

Sinner returned to claim the early advantage, only for Zverev, who had won all four of their previous encounters, to respond in the second to take the game the distance.

Neither player faced a break point in the decider, but it was Sinner who took control of the tie-break, dropping just one point on serve as the triumph was sealed when Zverev sent a backhand long. 

The world number one will face Frances Tiafoe, who reached his maiden ATP Masters 1000 final after defeating 15th seed Holger Rune in three sets. 

Data Debrief: Sinner continue hard court dominance

Sinner's triumph saw him become the first Italian in the Open Era to reach the men's singles final at the Cincinnati Open, and the first since 1973 to claim 5+ ATP top five wins in consecutive seasons.

Since the start of the 2023 season, Sinner has won 15 of his 20 matches on hard court against opponents ranked in the ATP’s top five.

World number two, Novak Djokovic (six), has the next-most over that span on the surface.

Jannik Sinner reached the semi-finals of the Cincinnati Open with a hard-fought 4-6 7-5 6-4 victory over Andrey Rublev, avenging last week's defeat to the Russian in Montreal.

Sinner was eliminated from the Canadian Open by Rublev at his last tournament, having missed the Paris Olympic Games due to a bout of tonsillitis.

He fought back from a set down to avoid a repeat in blustery conditions in Ohio on Saturday, having looked to be in trouble when he faced two break points at a set down.

The world number one saved both of those points before recovering from an awkward fall to win a 26-shot rally at 4-4, ultimately serving out the second set at the second opportunity.

Sinner then held off something of a third-set resurgence from Rublev to seal a gruelling two-hour, 25-minute victory, before expressing pride at the way he responded to adversity.

"It took a lot of mental strength today," Sinner said after his win. "It was very tough conditions, very windy. 

"In the first set he started very well and I didn't play my best tennis but in the second set, I felt I had a lot of chances. I waited for my chance. I am very happy to make the semis."

Meanwhile, Aryna Sabalenka teed up a heavyweight semi-final clash with Iga Swiatek in the women's draw, easing to a 6-3 6-2 victory over Liudmila Samsonova.

Sabalenka needed just one hour and 19 minutes to seal her win, reeling off 10 of the last 13 games to level her all-time head-to-head record with Samsonova at 2-2.

Data Debrief: Sabalenka joins exclusive club

Sabalenka is into her fourth semi-final at the Cincinnati Open, a joint-record at the competition among WTA players in the Open Era.

Jelena Jankovic, Serena Williams and Simona Halep are the only other women to achieve that feat.

Jannik Sinner began his Cincinnati Open campaign with a hard-fought 6-4 7-5 win over Alex Michelsen, bouncing back from his injury scare at the Canadian Open last week.

Sinner fell to a quarter-final defeat to Andrey Rublev in Montreal last time out, appearing to struggle with a hip issue throughout that loss after missing the Paris Olympics due to a bout of tonsillitis. 

However, the Italian played down any concerns over his fitness ahead of his last-32 match in Cincinnati, where he was pushed all the way by Michelsen but held firm to advance.

Sinner had to save eight break points in one hour and 52 minutes on court, committing as many unforced errors (19) as his American opponent.

However, breaks in the very first game of the opener and the penultimate game of the second set proved decisive for the Australian Open winner, who will now face either Sebastian Baez or Jordan Thompson for a quarter-final place.

Meanwhile, Stefanos Tsitsipas bounced back from his first-round Canadian Open exit at the hands of Kei Nishikori, fighting from a set and a break down to beat Jan-Lennard Struff 4-6 6-4 6-3.

Speaking after his win, Tsitsipas – who will face Jack Draper or Jaume Munar next – said: "I was down a break, and I managed to keep on fighting and get the break back. 

"Suddenly I felt like I was starting to figure out what really worked behind his serve. He made a few double faults, and I took that chance, got myself in the lead, and I think once I started reminding myself of my best qualities as a player, these things really started working."

Data Debrief: Sinner looking to stay perfect

Sinner's victory improved his record on hard courts to 25-2 for the season, and a first quarter-final berth at Cincinnati is now within his sights.

He has reached at least the last eight at all five ATP 1000 Masters tournaments he has played this year, though his only such title came in Miami in March.

Jannik Sinner played down any injury concerns and said he was looking forward to starting his Cincinnati Open campaign this week.

Sinner fell to a quarter-final defeat to Andrey Rublev at the Canadian Open in Montreal and was seen holding his hip at various stages of the encounter.

Nevertheless, the world number one said his only real concern was returning to the intensity of matches after skipping the Paris Olympics due to tonsillitis. 

"I feel quite good. Obviously, I made nearly one week without practising before, and then after playing for two-three days in a row, a bit more than usual, (that) could (have had) a potential impact to the hip," Sinner told reporters.

"But I'm not afraid. I feel good with the hip, and I'm just looking forward to going back on court here."

Sinner holds a poor record in Cincinatti, having never advanced to the quarter-finals, and was the victim of a shock loss to Dusan Lajovic in the round of 32 last year. 

However, the Italian is confident of a better run this time around, starting with an opening against either Tallon Griekspoor or Alex Michelsen. 

"Here usually I struggle a little bit to play because of the conditions but I'm looking forward to see my reaction this year, because it's a great test," said Sinner. 

The Australian Open champion believes a good tournament can act as a perfect platform for the final slam of the year in New York, which begins at the end of this month.

"I believe this tournament can give you a lot of confidence for the US Open, which is the last grand slam we have," Sinner said.  

"So in my mind, this is a very important tournament. "We go day by day. I have a couple of days to prepare and hopefully show some good tennis."

Andrey Rublev pulled off a shock in the Canadian Open quarter-final, knocking out an ailing Jannik Sinner in three sets.

The world number one pulled out of the Olympics due to illness and appeared to be struggling with a recurring hip injury as he was beaten 6-3 1-6 6-2 in Montreal on Saturday.

In a rain-hit match, Rublev took the first set before Sinner rallied to force a decider but he could not retain his momentum as the Russian snapped his eight-match winning streak on hard courts.

"It was a really great match of mine. I was playing really well today, and I'm happy that I was able to win," Rublev said.

"I don't know, not much to say, because I still, for the moment, really don't understand what's happening, because Jannik is an amazing player and he's playing unbelievable for the past two years.

"I was just hoping that I would be able to fight with him, to show great tennis. In the end, I think we had a lot of great rallies, a lot of long rallies.

"To be able to win this kind of match, of course, it's always special. I needed those matches, especially after some bad moments this year. So, of course I'm happy."

Since the start of the 2020 season, Rublev is now one of four players to defeat the ATP's number one on multiple surfaces, along with Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev and Holger Rune.

Meanwhile, Alexander Zverev prevailed in straight sets against Rune earlier on Saturday to reach the last eight with a 6-3 7-6 (7-5) win.

Excluding team events, Zverev is now in an 11th ATP-level quarter-final in 2024. It is the most of any player this season, while the German (11) is one of just two to reach 10+ ATP event QFs this year, along with Sinner (10).

Canadian Open champion Jannik Sinner advanced to the quarter-finals in Montreal with a straight-sets victory over Chile's Alejandro Tabilo.

The world number one made a slow start but found his feet midway through the opening set, getting the decisive break in the seventh game to inch ahead.

Tabilo only won one of 12 points on Sinner's first serve throughout the first set and saw his own serve broken again early in the second as Sinner eased to a 6-4 6-3 win.

Due to rain cancelling Friday's play, Sinner is on double duty on Saturday, with the Italian set to return to the court to face Andrey Rublev in the last eight at 7pm local time.

Data Debrief: Sinner joins exclusive club

Sinner's victory means he has reached at least the last eight at each of his first 10 ATP events of the season.

He is the first player to achieve that feat since Novak Djokovic in 2015, and the youngest – at 22 years and 358 days old – since Ivan Lendl in 1982.

Jannik Sinner began his defence of the Canadian Open title with a routine 6-2 6-4 victory over Borna Coric in Montreal.

Sinner, who won his first ATP Masters 1000 crown at the 2023 event and has since won the Miami Open and his first grand slam at this year's Australian Open, was victorious within one hour and 37 minutes at the Omnium Banque National presente par Rogers.

The Italian, who missed the Paris Olympic Games with tonsillitis, showed no signs of rust on his first hard-court outing since his Miami triumph in March.

He stuck the ball sweetly from the off and only dropped four points behind his own first serve, with breaks in the third games of both sets putting him on course for victory.

He will face 15th seed Alejandro Tabilo or Lorenzo Sonego in the last 16 as he prepares for a potential title tilt at the US Open.

Speaking after his win, Sinner said: "I've been here for a little bit so I'm maybe a bit more used to the conditions, but still, I'm very happy about the performance.

"It was a very tough match. Even if you watched the score, it felt closer for sure. 

"I had to save a break point in the second set and if he makes that one it could potentially change the match. It was a very good mindset today and I'll try to keep going."

Data Debrief: Forty and counting for Sinner

Sinner's victory, coming at the age of 22 years and 357 days, made him the youngest player to achieve 40 successive wins against players ranked outside the ATP's top 20 since Rafael Nadal, who completed that feat aged 22 years and 285 days at Indian Wells in 2009.

Jannik Sinner will not be participating in the Paris Olympics due to tonsillitis, the world number one confirmed on Wednesday. 

Sinner has not played since his quarter-final defeat against Daniil Medvedev, during which he left the court after saying he felt unwell. 

The Italian wrote an emotional post on social media confirming his withdrawal from what would have been the 22-year-old's first appearance at the Olympics. 

It read: "I am saddened to inform you that unfortunately I will not be able to participate in the Paris Olympic Games.

"After a good week of clay training I started to feel unwell. I spent a couple of days resting and during a visit the doctor found tonsillitis and strongly advised me against playing.

"Missing the Games is a huge disappointment as it was one of my main goals for this season. I couldn't wait to have the honor of representing my country in this very important event.

"Good luck to all the Italian athletes who I will support from home. Forza Italia."

The Italian has enjoyed a fantastic start to the 2024 season, winning his first major title at the Australian Open before being named the new world number one in June. 

With Sinner out of the draw, beaten Wimbledon finalist Novak Djokovic is the highest ranked men's player competing in the Olympics, hoping to add to his 2008 bronze medal. 

It is the first time that the ATP world number one will not take in the Olympics since Pete Sampras in Sydney 24 years ago.