Past champions Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner delivered commanding performances in their first-round matches at the U.S. Open on Tuesday, effortlessly advancing on Arthur Ashe Stadium. The day’s action was part of the tournament’s newly expanded 15-day schedule, designed to accommodate more fans after three consecutive years of record-breaking attendance. Swiatek, the Wimbledon winner who arrived in pristine form after a title in Cincinnati, needed just an hour to defeat Emiliana Arango 6-1, 6-2, never facing a break point.
Sinner, the top-ranked men’s defending champion, mirrored Swiatek’s dominance with a lopsided victory of his own, swatting aside Czech opponent Vit Kopriva 6-1, 6-1, 6-2. The Italian’s entry into the tournament had been under a cloud of controversy following revelations he escaped a doping ban despite failing two drug tests, but the crowd on Ashe Stadium was firmly on his side. He will next face Australia’s Alexei Popyrin as he continues his title defense.
Elsewhere in the draw, other seeds navigated their opening matches. On the Louis Armstrong Stadium court, tenth seed Lorenzo Musetti outlasted big-serving Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in four sets. American eighth seed Amanda Anisimova also advanced, rolling past Australia’s Kimberly Birrell with a dominant display that featured 17 winners. However, former champion Marin Cilic became the latest to exit the tournament, eliminated in straight sets by 23rd seed Alexander Bublik on the Grandstand court.
The evening session on Ashe Stadium was set to feature a headline act: 2023 champion and American fan favorite Coco Gauff. She was scheduled to launch her latest campaign against Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic, doing so just days after the surprising announcement that she had parted ways with her coach, Matt Daly. Her match was highly anticipated by home fans eager to see her begin her title defense.
