Casper Ruud, the 2022 US Open finalist, had to dig deep during his first-round men's singles match on Monday, August 27. Facing American qualifier Emilio Nava, Ruud endured a marathon session lasting three hours and seventeen minutes, eventually prevailing 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5). The contest was undecided until the very end, particularly in the fourth-set tie-breaker where, at 4-4, Ruud's composure and skill allowed him to overcome a very resilient Nava.
Nava played a high-powered game, hitting an impressive 72 winners to keep Ruud on the defensive. In contrast, Ruud struggled to find his range, recording only 27 winners and finding the finish line difficult to reach. Ultimately, the difference was in the errors; Ruud played a cleaner game with 21 unforced errors, while Nava's aggression backfired with 49 mistakes. The Norwegian athlete is now set to face Zhizhen Zhang from China in the next round.
World No. 1 Iga Swiatek sent a clear warning to the rest of the field during her opening match at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The Polish star kicked off her bid to defend her title with a crushing 6-0, 6-1 victory over Rebecca Peterson, ranked 86th. Though the 22-year-old appeared relaxed and playful with the crowd as she entered the court, she shifted gears immediately once the match began.
From the first point, Swiatek dominated the Swede, using a 'brick-wall' defensive style that forced Peterson to hit extra shots. Her serving was pinpoint accurate, helping her secure her 42nd set of the season with a 6-0 or 6-1 score—a new personal season high. Despite a few lapses that allowed Peterson to win a game with 37 minutes left on the clock, Swiatek remained in control. Reflecting on the win, the Pole mentioned her desire to implement the solid play and focus she had developed during a week of intense practice. She will face Daria Saville in her second-round match.
I really wanted to play solid and start the tournament with everything I was focusing on in practice for the whole week here, Swiatek said. The Pole will next play Daria Saville in the second round.
Elena Rybakina made short work of her first-round opponent, Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk. The Kazakh star dominated the match, winning 6-2, 6-1 in just one hour and 16 minutes. Although the former Wimbledon champion has struggled to progress past the third round at Flushing Meadows in the past, she looked completely in control against the world No. 32.
While Rybakina had a few hiccups with her second serve, including two double faults, her first serve was a weapon, landing 75% of the time. She also outpaced Kostyuk in winners, 26 to 19. Rybakina's next challenge will be Australia's Ajla Tomljanovic, with the match scheduled for August 30.