Sabalenka makes commanding start to US Open title defence
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka took a convincing 6-2 first set against Colombia's Camila Osorio in her opening match at the US Open, beginning her bid for a third straight title in New York.
On day two of the US Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka opened her campaign against Colombia's Camila Osorio, ranked 59th in the world. According to live coverage from both BBC and The Guardian, Sabalenka took the first set 6-2, breaking her opponent's serve multiple times during the set. The Guardian reported that the Belarusian hit five aces and 18 winners in the opening set alone. Osorio struggled with several double faults, which Sabalenka capitalised on throughout the match.
Sabalenka is the defending champion, having beaten American Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) in last year's final; she also won the title in 2024. A third consecutive US Open title this year would make her the first woman since Serena Williams in 2014 to achieve that feat.
Shaky recent form and a ranking battle
As both BBC and The Guardian note, Sabalenka's recent form has been inconsistent — she lost in the round of 16 at the Cincinnati Open to Sara Bejlek and has not reached a final since winning in Miami back in March. Adding to the pressure is the ongoing battle for the world No. 1 ranking: Elena Rybakina currently leads the live rankings and would become the new world No. 1 if she reaches the semi-finals, regardless of how other players fare. Alternatively, if either Coco Gauff or Jessica Pegula wins the title while Rybakina fails to reach the semi-finals, one of them would take the top spot instead. To retain her own No. 1 ranking, Sabalenka needs to win the tournament outright.
Context — an eventful start to the tournament
The US Open, the season's final Grand Slam, began on Sunday, 30 August, and runs until 13 September, when the men's final will be played; the women's final is scheduled a day earlier. The tournament's opening day brought a major shock as Novak Djokovic suffered a first-round loss to Mariano Navone — his first first-round exit at a Grand Slam since January 2006 — ending his bid for a record 25th major title. Later on day two, defending men's champion Carlos Alcaraz was also due to play his first-round match against Russia's Roman Safiullin on Arthur Ashe Stadium, marking his first singles appearance at a Grand Slam since winning the Australian Open in January, following a four-month absence due to injury.
