Wimbledon champions Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek get off to good starts at US Open
NEW YORK — Iga Swiatek is trying to do something no woman has done since Serena Williams in 2012: win the U.S. Open and Wimbledon in the same season.
Jannik Sinner is trying to do something no man has done since Roger Federer in 2008: repeat as U.S. Open champion.
By the looks of things Tuesday in Arthur Ashe Stadium as the now-three-day first round wrapped up, the two players who triumphed at the All England Club last month — and who both served short doping-related bans last year — look ready to contend again in New York. And how.
The second-seeded Swiatek was up first in the U.S. Open's main arena and needed merely an hour to dismiss Emiliana Arango of Colombia 6-1, 6-2. No. 1 Sinner then took only 39 minutes more to finish off his 6-1, 6-1, 6-2 victory over Vit Kopriva of the Czech Republic.
“Obviously, every year is different," said Sinner, sporting the white arm sleeve he began wearing after hurting his elbow in a fall during Wimbledon. "You come here starting this tournament, hopefully, the best possible way — which I did.”
He certainly showed no signs of the virus that forced him to quit in the first set of the Cincinnati Open final against his biggest rival, No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz, last week.
Either Sinner or Alcaraz, who have combined to win the past seven major titles, can own the top ATP ranking after these 15 days. Similarly, Swiatek, Coco Gauff or No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, the defending champion, can leave New York atop the WTA.
Seeded winners included No. 8 Amanda Anisimova, the Wimbledon runner-up to Swiatek; No. 18 Beatriz Haddad Maia and No. 27 Marta Kostyuk among the women, and No. 10 Lorenzo Musetti, No. 19 Francisco Cerundolo, No. 23 Alexander Bublik — who eliminated 2014 champion Marin Cilic — and No. 27 Denis Shapovalov among the men. No. 3 Gauff, who won the 2023 U.S. Open, was due on court at night to play Ajla Tomljanovic, followed by No. 3 Alexander Zverev against Alejandro Tabilo.
Sabalenka, Alcaraz, 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic and 2024 U.S. Open runner-up Jessica Pegula are on the Day 4 schedule as the second round begins.
