The 2024 US Open saw a major upset when Romanian qualifier Elena-Gabriela Ruse knocked out the reigning Wimbledon champion, Barbora Krejcikova. Ruse secured a straight-sets victory, 6-4, 7-5, in the second round, marking her first-ever appearance in the third round of a Major. Despite her lower world ranking of 122, Ruse outplayed the eighth seed, showing great composure and exploiting several unusual mistakes made by the Czech athlete.
Romanian qualifier Elena-Gabriela Ruse knocked out reigning Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova from the US Open 2024. Ruse defeated Krejcikova of the Czech Republic in straight sets 6-4, 7-5 in the tournament’s second round. This victory marks Ruse’s first-ever advancement to the third round of a Grand Slam tournament. Ruse, ranked 122nd in the world, convincingly outperformed eighth-seeded Krejcikova. Throughout the game, the Romanian showed remarkable poise and tactical understanding, taking advantage of Krejcikova’s unusual mistakes.
Krejcikova's preparation was hampered by a thigh injury that led to her withdrawal from the Toronto tournament. She noted that the whirlwind of winning Wimbledon and the responsibilities that followed had left her exhausted. Achieving a double win at Wimbledon and the US Open in one year is a rare feat, not accomplished by any woman since Serena Williams in 2012. While she leaned on the confidence of her 2021 French Open victory, the Czech player struggled to establish any rhythm against Ruse's high-pressure playing style.
This match is widely regarded as the biggest shock of the tournament to date. Ruse, 26, will now take on Paula Badosa of Spain, the 26th seed, who advanced by defeating Taylor Townsend 6-3, 7-5. This victory marks Badosa's first time reaching the third round of the US Open, capping off a strong resurgence in her form this summer.
Reflecting on her journey, Krejcikova admitted that while winning Wimbledon was an incredible achievement she is deeply proud of, she had not competed on hard courts since February. She felt her performance was improving and was certainly stronger than in her opening match, but unfortunately, it wasn't enough to secure the win.
Overjoyed by her victory, Elena-Gabriela Ruse was nearly speechless, describing the win as a dream come true. She gave credit to her support team for sticking by her through a challenging recovery from multiple injuries, adding that she simply wants to soak in the moment right now.
In other news, defending champion Coco Gauff marched into the third round with a dominant 6-4, 6-0 win over Germany's Tatjana Maria. The third-seeded American is scheduled to face Elina Svitolina (seed 27) tomorrow, August 30, for a spot in the fourth round. Despite a slow start, the 20-year-old Gauff dominated the second set, recording 15 winners and only five unforced errors to overcome Maria's slice-heavy game.