Coco Gauff kicked off her US Open adventure with a convincing straight‑sets victory over Turkey’s Zeynep Sonmez, while the legendary Williams sisters, Serena and Venus, are slated to meet the Taiwanese‑Australian pairing of Chan Hao‑Ching and Maya Joint after Tuesday’s draw. Fresh off her triumph in Cincinnati, the home‑grown favorite Gauff arrived in New York eager to add a third Grand Slam crown to her résumé following her breakthrough win at Flushing Meadows in 2023. The 22‑year‑old has reached at least the fourth round at the US Open for four consecutive editions, and this year she will face either Russia’s Daria Kasatkina or Spain’s Paula Badosa in the second round. "I wasn’t that nervous today, which was a surprise to me," Gauff said after the match, smiling as she walked back onto Arthur Ashe Stadium.
"When I stepped onto the court I could feel a grin trying to break through." From the opening game Gauff dictated play, carving out the sole break of serve in the first set and sealing the set in just over thirty minutes. Sonmez, ranked No. 53 in the world, flashed moments of brilliance, unleashing a series of powerful winners and a blistering backhand that earned applause from the crowd and even a nod of respect from Gauff herself. In the second set the Turkish teenager settled into a rhythm, trading breaks with the American and testing her with deep groundstrokes and occasional net approaches.
Gauff felt the pressure when she fell behind 3‑2, but she saved three break points, held serve and leveled the set. A crucial break at 4‑3 allowed her to re‑establish control, and the 22‑year‑old soon pulled away as Sonmez struggled to maintain the intensity that had briefly unsettled the fourth seed. "I know I can raise my level when I need to," Gauff reflected.
"I like to challenge my opponent to keep that intensity throughout the match, and if they do, I clap my hands and walk off the court with my head held high. I was able to settle down today." Beyond the singles action, the Williams sisters will reunite in the women’s doubles draw, taking on the No. 14 seeded team of Chan Hao‑Ching and Maya Joint— the duo that handed Serena a defeat at Wimbledon earlier this summer.
The American twins, who captured the US Open doubles crown in 1999 and again in 2009, last partnered at a Grand Slam in New York in 2022, falling in the opening round. They had hoped to team up at Wimbledon after Serena’s return to competition in June, but a knee injury forced her to withdraw from her first‑round singles match against Joint, ending any immediate plans for a joint campaign at the All England Club.
Serena, now 44, made her comeback this season after a four‑year hiatus, only to lose to the 20‑year‑old Australian Joint in a tightly contested match that left her with a knee strain and forced her out of the scheduled doubles match with Venus, who is 46. The sisters also paired at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, where they were upset in the first round by Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns.
In the men’s draw, Alexander Zverev fought off a near‑disaster, edging Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego 6‑4, 3‑6, 6‑7(7), 7‑5, 6‑4 to avoid becoming the first top‑seeded man to lose his opening match at a Grand Slam since Ivo Karlović upset Lleyton Hewitt at Wimbledon in 2003. Zverev, who captured his maiden major at Roland Garros and was runner‑up to Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon before inheriting the No. 1 seed when Sinner withdrew with a knee injury, struggled to break Sonego’s serve for much of the night.
The match stretched to nearly five hours, finally turning in Zverev’s favour when he secured a late break in the fourth set and held on in a decisive fifth. 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, a home‑court hopeful, dispatched fellow American Darwin Blanch in straight sets. French veteran Gaël Monfils, who has 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 tournament continues to be broadcast live on Sky Sports from August 30, with streaming options available on NOW and the Sky Sports app for viewers who prefer a contract‑free experience. Fans can also look forward to the Laver Cup, set to take place at The O₂ in London from 25‑27 September, also available on Sky Sports.