NEW YORK, Sept 2 (Reuters) – The U.S. Open kicks off its second round on Wednesday, with seventh seed Daniil Medvedev looking to shake off his struggles in the lead-up to the tournament, while former champion Iga Swiatek looks to build on newfound confidence.
Top seed Aryna Sabalenka also continues her title defence, while ex-finalist Jessica Pegula looks to end the Belarusian’s reign as the world’s number one.
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Despite winning Wimbledon last year, Swiatek could not make the most of the season, suffering two semifinal exits at the Australian Open and the French Open, before losing in the U.S. Open’s quarterfinals.
She partnered with coach Francisco Roig in April, working to improve her serve and forehand. But the results were not immediate as she exited the French Open in the fourth round, before a third-round stumble at Wimbledon.
But the eighth seed clinched a smooth victory in the U.S. Open’s first round, boosting her confidence as the six-time Grand Slam winner looks to claim a second U.S. Open title.
“I just feel like my work clicked. All these things that I needed to do with Francis … it became more automatic,” Swiatek said. “I’m happy that this work paid off and it’s getting the results now.”
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Former champion Medvedev has often struggled with consistency on the biggest stages, as he has yet to reach a Grand Slam’s quarterfinals since the 2024 U.S. Open.
The 30-year-old suffered a third-round loss at Wimbledon in July and things went further downhill last month with early exits from three tournaments. But Medvedev looked calm and determined as he beat Hugo Gaston in straight sets in the first round.
“Last couple of weeks weren’t easy, but you know how it is, sometimes you lose matches, sometimes you win … I’m really glad the way I played,” said Medvedev.
But for Medvedev, known for his fiery temper and frequent on-court outbursts, maintaining consistency has been the biggest challenge, and he will be tested by wildcard Sebastian Gorzny, who made his Grand Slam main draw debut with a first-round win over world number 38 Raphael Collignon.
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Pegula, who lost to Sabalenka in the U.S. Open final in 2024 and last year’s semifinals, is not worried that she has yet to win a major. The American, ranked number three in the world, is more interested in reaching the summit of the WTA rankings, dethroning Sabalenka.
“I’d like to win a major, and I think the number one spot will be more available if I’m able to do that,” she said after a comfortable win over Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the first round.
Pegula, who started the year at number six, reached the Australian Open semifinals and the last eight at Wimbledon as she rapidly closed the gap with Sabalenka.
“When I was younger, I never really said I wanted to (win) Wimbledon or I wanted to win the U.S. Open. I actually wanted to be number one in the world. I definitely hold a lot of value in that,” the 32-year-old added.
U.S. OPEN ORDER OF PLAY ON WEDNESDAY (prefix number denotes seeding):
ARTHUR ASHE STADIUM (1530 GMT/1130 ET)
3-Jessica Pegula (U.S.) v Sofia Kenin (U.S.)
8-Ben Shelton (U.S.) v Hubert Hurkacz (Poland)
1-Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) v Polina Iatcenko (Russia)
Jaime Faria (Portugal) v 2-Carlos Alcaraz (Spain)
LOUIS ARMSTRONG STADIUM (1500 GMT/1100 ET)
7-Daniil Medvedev (Russia) v Sebastian Gorzny (U.S.)
11-Marta Kostyuk (Ukraine) v Sloane Stephens (U.S.)
Rei Sakamoto (Japan) v 11-Frances Tiafoe (U.S.)
Lanlana Tararudee (Thailand) v 6-Linda Noskova (Czechia)
(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru; Editing by Thomas Derpinghaus)
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