Carlos Alcaraz has started his bid for a sixth Grand Slam title at the US Open, dominating on the second day of play at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows. The second-seeded Spaniard takes on big-serving American Reilly Opelka in the first round. Alcaraz is on course for his second US Open victory after claiming his first at the tournament in 2022. Fans are expecting another possible blockbuster encounter with Jannik Sinner, whom he has already met twice in Grand Slam finals this year.
Venus Williams Comes Back for Record 25th Appearance
In the meantime, US tennis icon Venus Williams is appearing for a record-breaking 25th time at the US Open, against Czech 11th seed Karolina Muchova in the opening round. The 45-year-old world No 602 returned to competitive tennis in July after a 16-month break on a wild card, which has been handed to her again. Williams made her Flushing Meadows debut as a 17-year-old in 1997, going all the way to the final against Martina Hingis in an fairy-tale introduction.
It never gets old, only more thrilling,” Williams said on Saturday, speaking of her ageless love of the game. Her appearance also comes as the 75th anniversary of African-American tennis pioneer Althea Gibson’s first US national championships appearance in 1950. Gibson’s legacy will be celebrated with a ceremony preceding Williams’ match on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Emotional Farewell for Petra Kvitova
The day also held a poignant moment as two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova formally retired from professional tennis. The 35-year-old Czech was beaten 6-1, 6-0 by France’s Diane Parry, ending her career in an emotional manner. Kvitova, who had previously declared that the US Open would be her final tournament, was overcome with tears during her post-match news conference. It was difficult to realize it might be my last game, and mentally it was very hard too,” she explained.
Some of the other early-round winners were Czech veteran Barbora Krejcikova, who beat emerging Canadian star Victoria Mboko 6-3, 6-2, and Belgian 19th seed Elise Mertens, who beat wild card entry Alyssa Ahn 6-1, 6-0. Ukrainian 30th seed Dayana Yastremska lost in a three-set thriller to Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/5), 6-4.
In the men’s draw, qualifier Coleman Wong became the first player from Hong Kong to have a Grand Slam singles victory in the Open era when he beat US player Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (7/4).
As the tournament continues, everyone keeps an eye on Alcaraz and Williams, both of whom represent different generations of tennis greatness. While Alcaraz pursues more glory, Williams keeps making history, providing a unique combination of nostalgia and expectation to Flushing Meadows. Viewers all over the globe are clamoring to see great performances and perhaps historic moments at this year’s US Open.
