Britain’s rising star Toby Samuel delivered a breakthrough performance at the US Open, securing his first Grand Slam victory with a commanding straight‑sets win, while fellow Briton Katie Boulter also progressed after a hard‑fought three‑setter. In contrast, veteran Cameron Norrie suffered a third consecutive opening‑round defeat at a major this season, bowing out to France’s Luca Van Assche. Samuel entered the tournament through the qualifying draw, having battled through three preliminary rounds to earn his place in the main field. In his debut match, he faced former world No.
20 Tomas Macháč, a seasoned Czech competitor with a reputation for consistency. Samuel dismantled the Czech in just 90 minutes, posting a dominant 6‑2, 6‑3, 6‑2 scoreline. His service game was virtually untouchable, and his groundstrokes flew with precision, leaving Macháč scrambling for answers.
The victory catapulted Samuel into the ATP top 100 for the first time, a remarkable leap from his 683rd ranking a year earlier. After the match, a visibly exhausted Samuel said, “I’m so tired, but otherwise I’m thrilled to have gotten the job done.” He added, “I played a great match – I’m grateful to everyone who has supported me to this point, and I hope I can keep the momentum into next week.” Reflecting on the flow of the contest, Samuel noted, “In the first two sets I wasn’t missing any balls. In the third, he came out a bit stronger – I had a little dip in the first few games, but I recovered quickly.
I’ll try to repeat what I did today in the next round.” His next opponent will be 18th seed Jiří Lehečka, another Czech, in the second round on Wednesday. The matchup promises a test of Samuel’s newfound confidence against a higher‑ranked, experienced player. On the women’s side, British No.
1 Katie Boulter, aged 30, navigated a demanding encounter with American wildcard Carol‑Young Suh Lee. Boulter established an early lead, breaking ahead with a set and a break advantage. However, a spate of double‑faults allowed Lee to claw back into the contest, forcing a seesaw battle. With encouragement from her newly‑wed husband, Australian star Alex de Minaur, Boulter steadied herself on the lively, partisan Court Five.
She ultimately prevailed 6‑4, 3‑6, 6‑0, demonstrating resilience after the middle‑set setback. Boulter’s next challenge could be formidable.
The draw suggests a possible meeting with this year’s Wimbledon runner‑up Karolina Muchová in the second round, a test that would pit Boulter against a player who has proven her ability on the biggest stages. Cameron Norrie’s day, however, ended in disappointment.
The British No. 1, who has recently been overtaken in the national rankings by Arthur Fery after a strong run to the Winston‑Salem final, suffered a 7‑6 (8‑6), 2‑6, 2‑6, 3‑6 defeat to France’s Luca Van Assche.
The opening set was a tightly contested affair that tipped in Norrie’s favor, but his level slipped early in the second set. Van Assche seized the momentum, dominating the baseline exchanges and never looking back. Norrie’s frustration grew as the match progressed; he managed a brief resurgence in the fourth set, leveling the score at 3‑3 with some impressive shot‑making, but Van Assche broke again to seal the win and advance to the second round for the first time in his career.
Reflecting on his performance, Norrie admitted, “It was really tough. I was pretty nervous and it showed in the beginning of the first set, and I did well to steal that first set. But I could never really maintain a good level of energy and momentum, and I’d play well for a little bit and then drop off a couple of games here and there.
So that was super frustrating and pretty surprising. I felt like I lost to myself today.” Samuel’s ascent, Boulter’s gritty victory, and Norrie’s setback encapsulate the unpredictable nature of the US Open’s opening day. British tennis fans have plenty to discuss, from the excitement of a newcomer breaking into the top 100 to the resilience shown by their top‑ranked women’s player, as well as the disappointment of a seasoned pro struggling to find form.
The tournament continues to be broadcast live on Sky Sports each day until September 13, with additional streaming options available via the NOW platform and the Sky Sports app. Fans can also look forward to the Laver Cup at The O2 in London from September 25‑27, which will also be shown live on Sky Sports.