Defending champions Novak Djokovic and Coco Gauff loved comfy first-round victories on the US Open, whereas Dominic Thiem bid farewell to the Grand Slam the place he loved his largest triumph.
Djokovic, who’s searching for to change into the primary participant to win 25 Grand Slam titles, capped the night session below the lights at Arthur Ashe Stadium with a 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 victory over Moldovan participant Radu Albot on Monday night time.
Three weeks after successful the singles title on the Paris Video games, Djokovic carried his rackets and tools in a pair of gold-colored luggage onto the court docket, the place the group gave him a hero’s welcome.
However the Serb’s golden contact was clearly lacking within the night match as he struggled on serve and racked up nearly twice as many unforced errors as winners.
Nonetheless, he had greater than sufficient weapons to deal with Moldova’s Albot in his first match of the tour and declare his document 78th victory at Arthur Ashe below a closed roof.
“To be trustworthy, I did not know,” Djokovic mentioned of the Centre Court docket milestone.
“It’s no doubt the loudest stadium now we have ever had within the historical past of our sport. The night time periods are the most effective on this planet right here.”
No person has gained extra matches at Arthur Ashe Stadium than Novak Djokovic! picture.twitter.com/kw3mNORpjH
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 27, 2024
‘I am closing’
However the Serbian later regretted the late begin.
“Nicely, I do not suppose ageing actually helps to remain up so late and play so late,” the 37-year-old informed reporters after the match.
“I can really feel my batteries getting low now. I am shutting down.
“I assume you simply have to simply accept it… I like taking part in night time video games, however I like going first.
“So I hope to get extra alternatives to play at night time and get scheduled first so we will begin at a extra first rate time and end at a extra first rate time.
“I assume for followers there’s something particular about video games that end late at night time, notably after midnight. For us, I don’t know. It’s probably not what you need, however in the event you get a win, [win]then the whole lot is ok.”
Within the twilight of a record-breaking profession, Djokovic has his sights set on a number of milestones in New York, together with a fifth title at Flushing Meadows to equal the skilled period document held by Pete Sampras, Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer.
He’s additionally hoping to change into the primary back-to-back winner in males’s singles since Federer’s run of 5 consecutive titles from 2004-08.
Straightforward wins for Gauff and Sabalenka
In the meantime, house favorite and defending girls’s champion Gauff cruised previous Frenchwoman Varvara Gracheva 6-2 6-0 in Ashe, placing disappointing performances in Toronto and Cincinnati behind her to make a quick begin to the 12 months’s remaining main.
“The previous couple of weeks have been powerful and I used to be like, ‘I’ve to do that and that,’ however I don’t must show something to anyone besides myself,” Gauff mentioned.
“This week or two weeks will simply be about proving all of the expectations I’ve of myself.”
Second seed Aryna Sabalenka, the Australian Open champion and one of many pre-tournament favourites, shone below the highlight by beating Australian Priscilla Hon 6-3, 6-3.
Final 12 months’s runner-up arrived in New York recent from her triumph in Cincinnati and is trying to change into the primary girl to win each hard-court majors in the identical 12 months since Angelique Kerber in 2016.
China’s Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen opened play at Louis Armstrong Stadium with a 4-6 6-4 6-2 win over Amanda Anisimova, whereas compatriot Wang Yafan superior after ninth seed Maria Sakkari retired injured whereas trailing 6-2.
Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova and three-time US Open finalist Victoria Azarenka joined prime seeds Madison Keys, Paula Badosa and Elina Svitolina in advancing within the girls’s draw.
Shelton ends Thiem’s Grand Slam journey
It was the top of the street for Austrian Thiem, who’s retiring on the finish of the season because of a wrist downside that derailed his profession, because the 2020 champion fell 6-4 6-2 6-2 to American Ben Shelton.
Diego Schwartzman additionally mentioned goodbye to Flushing Meadows after the Argentine’s final look on the match ended with a 6-7 (2) 6-2 6-2 6-1 loss to Frenchman Gael Monfils.
Fourth seed Alexander Zverev, who misplaced the ultimate to Thiem 4 years in the past, started his newest bid to carry his first main title with a 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-2 victory over fellow German Maximilian Marterer.
Taylor Fritz beat Argentina’s Camilo Ugo Carabelli 7-5, 6-1, 6-2 to start his quest to change into the primary American to win a Grand Slam title since Andy Roddick triumphed on the 2003 US Open.
He was joined within the second spherical by Cincinnati runner-up Frances Tiafoe after the twentieth seed defeated fellow American Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5.
Denmark’s Holger Rune was one of many first to go, the fifteenth seed being crushed by American Brandon Nakashima 6-2, 6-1, 6-4, whereas Norway’s Casper Ruud dispatched Bu Yunchaokete 7-6(2), 6-2, 6-2.
