Jannik Sinner ruthlessly efficient against Christopher O'Connell at the US Open

Jannik Sinner has been getting a lot of heat recently about two failed drug tests he had in March. Should he have been automatically suspended? Possibly. That is not meant as any disrespect to the Italian but simply how tennis normally has done business. Simona Halep was banned for four years almost instantly after a failed test in 2022.

Sinner also struggled with injuries in April and May and one could wonder if the reason he wasn't playing had anything to do with his mental condition after knowing he had failed drug tests. That, of course, is an assumption and the Italian was dealing with a hip issue, but whatever problems he was having have not reared their head at the US Open so far.

On Saturday in his third-round match against poor Christopher O'Connell, Sinner was ruthless in his efficiency. He failed to beat himself and instead forced O'Connell to make shots that the Australian simply could not. Sinner took the match 6-1 6-4 6-2. There was never any doubt that Sinner would become an upset candidate in the same way that Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic have been in the past two days.

Jannik Sinner into the fourth round at the US Open

In fact, the fact that Alcaraz and Djokovic are done might only be fueling Sinner. He is clearly the best player left in the field and he simply needs to prove it. He would finish the season with two Grand Slam victories - bookending the Australian Open with the US Open while Alcaraz won the middle-two majors - and have a huge lead in the ATP rankings.

Sinner is assured of being No. 1 even through late September should he lose in the next round. The Italian appears nowhere close to losing, though. His best result in the US Open before this year was losing in the quarterfinals. Should he fail to make the final would be a shock at this point.

Sinner could next face American Tommy Paul in the fourth round. Should that happen, the New York crowd would be fully behind the American. Sinner has a greater drive, though. He is trying to show his failed drug tests were an accident and should not be held against him.

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