U.S. Open R2 previews and predictions: Sinner vs. Popyrin, Cobolli vs. Brooksby

Italians Jannik Sinner and Flavio Cobolli will headline the second day of second-round action at the U.S. Open on Thursday. Sinner continues his title bid against Alexei Popyrin, while Cobolli battles Jenson Brooksby.

(1) Jannik Sinner vs. Alexei Popyrin

Popyrin stunned Novak Djokovic en route to the U.S. Open fourth round last summer. The 26-year-old Australian can only hope that lightning strikes twice in New York, this time in the second round against Sinner on Thursday. It isn’t likely, of course, as Sinner has swept the last three hard-court Grand Slams–the Aussie Open twice in a row and the 2024 U.S. Open. The world No. 1 is 12-1 in his last 13 matches dating back to the start of Wimbledon, with his only loss during this stretch coming via first-set retirement against Carlos Alcaraz in the Cincinnati final.

Sinner opened with a 6-1, 6-1, 6-2 beatdown of Vit Kopriva, while Popyrin took advantage of a similarly overmatched opponent by beating Emil Ruusuvuori 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(3). The world No. 36 actually prevailed in his only previous matchup with Sinner (7-6(5), 6-2 in Madrid), but that was four years ago on clay. A hard-court major is the last place where anyone wants to face Sinner, even though Popyrin is obviously dangerous in these conditions. This is not an easy second-round test, but it’s one the top-seeded Italian should pass in comfortable fashion.

Pick: Sinner in 3

Jenson Brooksby vs. (24) Flavio Cobolli

Brooksby’s comeback from a two-year suspension has been mostly productive, but since lifting the Houston trophy in April he has defeated only one opponent ranked as high as Cobolli (No. 26)–and that was world No. 20 Ugo Humbert, who is mired in a massive slump at the moment. The 92-ranked American kicked off his U.S. Open campaign with a 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 victory over Aleksandar Vukic on Monday.

Cobolli also required five sets, scraping past fellow Italian Francesco Passaro 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Thus continues an outstanding run of form for Cobolli on the heels of a rough first couple of months in 2025. He owns two ATP titles this season, made a run to the Wimbledon quarterfinals, and extended eventual champion Ben Shelton to a third-set tiebreaker in the fourth round of that Masters 1000 event. The 24th seed lost his only previous contest against Brooksby, but that was three years ago and it was on clay–so it is hardly relevant to Thursday’s U.S. Open matchup. Cobolli should win the rematch, possibly even with ease.

Pick: Cobolli in 3