US Open roundup: Sabalenka, Djokovic advance into second round

Novak Djokovic of Serbia returns a shot during the men's singles first round match against Learner Tien of the United States at the 2025 US Open tennis championships in New York, the United States, on Aug. 24, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Rui)

WASHINGTON, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- Aryna Sabalenka launched the defense of her US Open crown with victory while Novak Djokovic also made a flying start to reach the second round of the Grand Slam event on Sunday.

Sabalenka prevailed 7-5, 6-1 over Switzerland's Rebeka Masarova in the opening round, though not without early struggles. Sabalenka surrendered a break in the first set to trail 3-2 before rallying to take the opener. She then dominated the second set, dropping only one game to seal the win.

"Happy to get this win and happy to be in the second round. I feel like I didn't start my best in the first games, but then I found my rhythm," said Sabalenka, who will face unseeded Russian Polina Kudermetova in the second round.

Djokovic eased past unseeded 19-year-old American Learner Tien 6-1, 7-6 (3), 6-2, earning his 75th consecutive first-round victory at a Grand Slam tournament.

The 38-year-old has not lost an opening match at a major since the 2006 Australian Open.

"There are positives but also things that hopefully won't happen in terms of how I felt on the court physically in the second set. It's slightly a concern. I don't know. I don't have any injury or anything. I just struggled a lot to stay in long exchanges and recover after points," said the No.7-seeded Djokovic.

Zhu Lin of China serves during the women's singles first round match against Anastasia Potapova of Russia, Aug. 24, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Rui)

Elsewhere, 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev of Russia was upset by France's Benjamin Bonzi 6-3, 7-5, 6-7 (5), 0-6, 6-4 in a match lasting three hours 45 minutes.

The No. 13 seed was one point from elimination in the third set, then rallied to force a decider before Bonzi closed out the win, eliminating him from a second straight major. Medvedev, who also lost to Bonzi in the first round at Wimbledon, finished 1-4 in Grand Slam events this year.

All four Chinese players in action on the opening day fell in the women's singles first round.

Qualifier Wang Xiyu lost to 25th seed Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia 6-4, 6-3. Wang Yafan was unable to convert three set points against 10th seed Emma Navarro of the United States, falling 7-6 (9), 6-3. Another qualifier, Zhang Shuai, was beaten 6-3, 6-3 by 16th seed Belinda Bencic of Switzerland.

In a hard-fought three-setter, Zhu Lin pushed Russia's Anastasia Potapova to a decider before losing 6-4, 4-6, 6-2. ■

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