Second seed Elena Rybakina brushed off injury concerns as she began her US Open in impressive fashion, comfortably beating Thea Frodin at Flushing Meadows.
The twice Grand Slam winner retired in the first set of her Cincinnati quarter-final match against Iga Swiatek on August 20th with an ankle problem, putting a doubt over her participation at the US Open, but she looked sharp in beating the 17-year-old American Frodin in oppressive humidity.
“We’ll see how I’m going to feel tomorrow because I had to take a break [after her injury in Cincinnati]. But for now it feels okay,” Rybakina said.
The Kazakhstani player could become world number one if she reaches at least the semi-finals of the US Open.
“I’m definitely motivated [to get to world No 1], I had chances before but it didn’t go my way. Of course it will be an amazing achievement but it’s still too far. I need to focus on my recovery and just keep going.”
Meanwhile, American Madison Keys overcame early jitters to down Russian Alina Korneeva 7-5 6-4 in the first round, exorcising the demons of her early exit a year ago.
Just months after winning her first Grand Slam title at the 2025 Australian Open, Keys crashed out in the first round at Flushing Meadows after being overcome by debilitating nerves.
But Keys felt more at home this time around – improving her first-serve percentage from 48 per cent in the first set to nearly 70 per cent in the second. She will next meet either Czech Lucie Havlickova or Hungarian Anna Bondar.
“Today is obviously tough, because you go back on the court where you had a really tough loss, and to go back out and play another first round, it’s always hard,” said the 2017 US Open runner-up. “To have that kind of lingering memory is tough.”
Keys looked at first as though she would cruise through the match on Arthur Ashe Stadium as she won the first three games but the Russian broke back in the fifth when Keys hit a forehand shot wildly out of bounds.
After trading breaks again, Keys broke her opponent on her third set point with a fine backhand strike and improved her level across the board in a competitive second set.
Down 4-2 in the second set, Korneeva came out on top following a nifty cat-and-mouse exchange near the net to break back but her relief was short-lived.
She was left scrambling for a backhand shot just out of reach as she dropped serve again in the eighth game.
Keys handed her opponent the break with a handful of mistakes in the ninth but regained her composure to clinch it in the next game with one of her signature forehand strikes.