The matches are just getting better and better in New York and we’ve seen a few upsets so far as Ruud, Rune and Mensik are all out. Let’s look at some big clashes for day five of the US Open.
Jannik Sinner vs Alexei Popyrin
Jannik Sinner, defending US Open champion, enters this match in great form. His first-round victory was a dominant straight-sets performance vs Vit Kopriva. While Alexei Popyrin leads the head-to-head 1-0 from a 2021 Madrid match on clay, a lot has changed since then. Popyrin, with a 16-18 record this year, has shown flashes of his potential, and has shown previously he can beat the big names, but lacks the consistent results to truly challenge Sinner here. It will be tougher than the first match but the world no 1 will most likely take this in three sets
Prediction: Sinner in straight sets.
Alexander Zverev vs Jacob Fearnley
Alexander Zverev, the No. 3 seed, comes into this second-round match after a comfortable straight-sets win. He holds a 2-0 head-to-head (no sets lost) advantage over his opponent, the 60 ranked Jacob Fearnley. Zverev’s 2025 record is 43-16 with one title, and he has a strong history at the US Open, having reached the final in 2020 and the semifinals in both 2022 and 2024. Fearnley is making his US Open main draw debut and is a big underdog here at odds with 7.40.
While Fearnley showed great resolve in his first-round win, Zverev’s experience on the biggest stages should give him a decisive advantage. The Brit has shown he’s competitive against top players, and had impressive moments at the first two Slams of the year, he can take a set here, but not more.
Prediction: Zverev in four sets.
Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Roman Safiullin
Felix Auger-Aliassime, the 27th-ranked player, has had a mixed season and survived a competitive 6-4, 7-6(8), 6-4 win over Billy Harris in the first round. His opponent, Roman Safiullin, coming off a five-set thriller against Gael Monfils, displayed resilience but may face fatigue. Auger-Aliassime has a winning 1-0 head-to-head record against Safiullin, with their only meeting taking place at indoor courts back in 2022. While Auger-Aliassime has struggled with consistency, he has a solid hard-court game that should be effective against Safiullin.
Prediction: Auger-Aliassime in 3 sets.
