Coco Gauff kicked off her US Open adventure with a convincing straight‑sets triumph over Turkey's Zeynep Sonmez, while the legendary Williams sisters, Serena and Venus, are slated to meet the Taiwanese‑Australian duo of Chan Hao‑Ching and Maya Joint after Tuesday's draw. Fresh off her Cincinnati Open title, the 22‑year‑old American entered Flushing Meadows with momentum and the ambition of adding a third Grand Slam crown to her résumé following her breakthrough win in New York last year.
Gauff has reached at least the fourth round at the US Open for four consecutive editions, and her next opponent will be either Russia's Daria Kasatkina or Spain's Paula Badosa, depending on how the second‑round matches unfold. "I wasn't that nervous today, which was a surprise to me," Gauff told the crowd after the match. "When I stepped back onto the court I could barely keep a smile from showing." From the first point she dictated play, breaking Sonmez's serve early and sealing the opening set in just over thirty minutes. Sonmez, ranked 53rd in the world, displayed moments of brilliance, unleashing a series of powerful winners—including a thunderous backhand that earned applause from the Arthur Ashe Stadium audience and even drew a nod from Gauff herself.
In the second set the Turkish teenager settled in, exchanging breaks and testing the American with deep groundstrokes and occasional net rushes. Gauff faced a brief scare when she fell behind 3‑2, but she repelled three break points, held serve to level the set, and then broke Sonmez again to regain the advantage at 4‑3. 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 poise, finishing the second set comfortably and securing a 6‑3, 6‑2 victory.
"I know I can raise my level when I need to," Gauff reflected post‑match. "I like to challenge my opponent to keep up that intensity for the entire match; if they do, I clap my hands and walk off the court with my head held high. I was able to settle down today and play my game." The Williams sisters, who together captured the US Open women's doubles titles in 1999 and 2009, will reunite for the first time at a Grand Slam since New York 2022, where they fell in the opening round. Their partnership was expected to resume at Wimbledon after Serena's comeback earlier this season, but a knee injury forced her to withdraw from her first‑round singles match against Maya Joint, ending any immediate hopes of a Wimbledon doubles run.
Serena, now 44, returned to competition this year after a four‑year hiatus, only to lose to Joint, a 20‑year‑old Australian, in a hard‑fought encounter that left her with a knee strain and forced her out of the planned doubles match with Venus, who is 46. The sisters did team up at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, where they were upset in the first round by Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns.
Joint and Chan, seeded 14th, will face the Williams duo in the first round of the women's doubles, which begins on Thursday. In the men's draw, Germany's Alexander Zverev narrowly avoided becoming the first top‑seeded man to fall in the opening round of a Grand Slam since Ivo Karlović upset Lleyton Hewitt at Wimbledon in 2003. Zverev survived a grueling five‑set battle against Italy's Lorenzo Sonego, prevailing 6‑4, 3‑6, 6‑7(7), 7‑5, 6‑4 after nearly five hours of play that stretched into the early hours of Wednesday morning. Zverev, who claimed his maiden major title at Roland Garros and was runner‑up to Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon, entered the tournament as the No.
1 seed after Sinner withdrew with a knee injury. Throughout the match Zverev struggled to break Sonego's serve, and at times it looked as though the German could become the first top seed to stumble at the US Open since Stefan Edberg's loss to Alexander Volkov in 1990.
Ultimately, Zverev broke late in the fourth set and sealed the win, preserving his top‑seed status and extending his Grand Slam campaign. Other notable first‑round results included Italy's Flavio Cobolli, the fifth seed, who endured a five‑set thriller to defeat Argentina's Francisco Comesana, and the United States' ninth seed Taylor Fritz, a home‑court hopeful, who dispatched 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 victory over Spain's Adolfo Alvarez, showcasing why he remains a fan favourite despite his advancing age. 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 contract‑free access.
Fans can also look forward to the Laver Cup at London's O2 Arena from September 25‑27, also shown on Sky Sports. The US Open promises more drama, upsets, and memorable moments as the world's best players vie for the coveted titles across singles, doubles, and mixed events.