Former champion Coco Gauff survived a major first-round scare under the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium, overcoming a spirited Ajla Tomljanovic in a three-set thriller to advance at the U.S. Open. Her hard-fought victory was a highlight of the opening round action, which also saw dominant wins from fellow former champions Naomi Osaka, Iga Swiatek, and defending champion Aryna Sabalenka.
In a nervy and error-strewn performance, Gauff had to dig deep to fend off Tomljanovic, the player who famously ended Serena Williams' career on the same court in 2022. After taking the first set 6-4, Gauff dropped the second in a tiebreak. The 2023 champion then regrouped in a tense decider, overcoming some late service wobbles to seal a 6-4, 6-7(2), 7-5 victory.
In stark contrast, two-time U.S. Open champion Naomi Osaka looked in imperious form, dismantling Belgium's Greet Minnen 6-3, 6-4. Firing seven aces and converting all of her break point opportunities, Osaka was ruthless from the baseline. Now juggling motherhood with her comeback, she is aiming to become the first mother to win a Grand Slam singles title since 2011.
2022 champion Iga Swiatek also sent a powerful message to the draw with a dominant 6-1, 6-2 victory over Colombia's Emiliana Arango. The Polish world number two, fresh off a Wimbledon title, was in complete control, hitting 26 winners and not facing a single break point. "It felt great - first matches are not easy... it was a solid match," she said.
Defending champion and world number one Aryna Sabalenka started her campaign with a convincing 7-5, 6-1 win over Switzerland's Rebeka Masarova. After grinding through a tense opening set, Sabalenka credited the vocal Arthur Ashe crowd for lifting her. "When I won that first set and you cheered me out I got goosebumps," she said in her on-court interview.
Sabalenka later told reporters that she loves the pressure of being the defending champion. "For me, it’s motivation, you know, and I want to do well. I want to feel those emotions, and I really worked hard for that," she added. Her dominant second-set performance suggests she is in the right mindset to make another deep run at Flushing Meadows.
In other results, American eighth seed Amanda Anisimova also moved on with a confident 6-3, 6-2 win over Kimberly Birrell. With all the top seeds and former champions safely navigating their opening matches, the stage is now set for some blockbuster encounters as the second round gets underway.
