Coco Gauff kicked off her US Open quest with a convincing straight‑sets triumph over Turkey's Zeynep Sonmez, while the legendary Williams sisters, Serena and Venus, are slated to take on Maya Joint and Chan Hao‑Ching after Tuesday's draw. Fresh off her Cincinnati Open title, the home‑grown favorite Gauff is eyeing a third Grand Slam crown following her breakthrough win in New York last year. Over the past four editions of the tournament, the 22‑year‑old has consistently reached at least the fourth round, and she now awaits a second‑round clash with either Daria Kasatkina or Paula Badosa.
"I wasn't that nervous today, which was a shock," Gauff told the crowd after her match. "When I walked back out on this court, I was trying to hold back a smile." She established control early, snatching the sole service break of the opening set and wrapping up the set in just over thirty minutes.
Sonmez, ranked No. 53 in the world, displayed moments of brilliance, unleashing a series of powerful winners—including a blistering backhand that earned applause from the Arthur Ashe Stadium audience and even a nod from Gauff herself. In the second set, the Turkish teenager settled in, trading breaks with the American and testing her with deep groundstrokes and occasional net rushes.
Gauff faced a brief scare, trailing 3‑2, but she fended off three break points, held serve to level the set, and then broke Sonmez again to re‑establish a 4‑3 lead. From there, the American pulled away, as Sonmez struggled to maintain the intensity that had briefly unsettled the fourth seed. Gauff closed the match with composure, securing a comfortable win.
"I know that I can raise my level if I need to," Gauff reflected. "I like to challenge my opponent to keep up that level the whole match, and if they do, I clap my hands and walk off the court with my head held high. But I was able to settle down." Her poise and ability to adjust mid‑match underscore why she is considered a serious contender for the title.
Meanwhile, the Williams sisters are reuniting in the women's doubles draw, set to face the No. 14‑seeded pair of Hao‑Ching Chan and Australia's Maya Joint—who notably defeated Serena at Wimbledon earlier this summer.
The duo previously captured the US Open doubles crown in 1999 and 2009, and their last Grand Slam appearance together was at the 2022 New York tournament, where they exited in the first round. The sisters had hoped to regroup at Wimbledon after Serena's return to competition in June, but a knee injury forced Serena to withdraw from her singles match against Joint, ending those plans prematurely.
Serena, now 44, made a comeback this year after a four‑year hiatus, only to lose to Joint in the opening round. The knee issue that arose during that match also forced her out of the scheduled doubles partnership with Venus, 46, at the All England Club. The pair later teamed up at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, where they fell in the first round to Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns.
In the men's draw, Alexander Zverev narrowly avoided becoming the first top‑seeded man to fall in the first round of a Grand Slam since 2003. He edged Italy's Lorenzo Sonego 6‑4, 3‑6, 6‑7(7), 7‑5, 6‑4 in a marathon that stretched into the early hours of Wednesday morning. Zverev, who claimed his maiden major at the French Open and was runner‑up to Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon, entered the US Open as the No.
1 seed after Sinner withdrew with a right‑knee injury. Throughout the match, Zverev struggled to break Sonego's serve, and for a time it looked as though history might repeat itself. The last top seed to lose his opening match at the US Open was Stefan Edberg, who fell to Alexander Volkov in 1990.
After nearly five hours of grueling tennis, Zverev finally broke through late in the fourth set, securing the decisive break that propelled him to a four‑set victory. His resilience under pressure highlighted the fine margins that can separate triumph from early elimination at the sport's highest level. Other notable first‑round results included fifth‑seed Flavio Cobolli surviving a five‑set battle against Argentina's Francisco Comesana, while ninth‑seed Taylor Fritz—one of the United States' biggest hopes for a home title—defeated fellow American Darwin Blanch in straight sets.
French veteran Gaël Monfils, who announced his retirement at the end of the season, celebrated his 40th birthday with a dominant 2‑6, 6‑2, 6‑1, 6‑0 win over Spain's Adolfo Álvarez. The US Open continues to be broadcast live on Sky Sports from August 30, with streaming options available via NOW and the Sky Sports app. Fans can also catch the Laver Cup at London's O2 Arena from September 25‑27, also shown on Sky Sports. The tournament promises more drama, upsets, and memorable moments as the world's best players vie for glory on the iconic hard courts of Flushing Meadows.