The US Open commenced on Sunday, marking the first time the tournament has started on this day in its history. American players Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz both secured decisive victories in their first-round matches, setting a positive tone for the host nation.
Shelton, the sixth seed, showcased his skills at Arthur Ashe Stadium by defeating qualifier Ignacio Buse with a score of 6-3, 6-2, 6-4. During his on-court interview, he expressed enthusiasm for the venue, stating, “It’s starting to feel like home for me. This is the best court in tennis, my favorite place to play, favorite tournament.”
Fritz, seeded fourth, faced a tougher challenge against fellow American Emilio Nava, but triumphed with a final score of 7-5, 6-2, 6-3 at Louis Armstrong Stadium. This marks a historical moment as it is the first major tournament since 2007 featuring two American men seeded in the top eight. The last instance included Andy Roddick and James Blake.
Since last year’s US Open, where Fritz fell to Jannik Sinner in the championship match, he has shown remarkable form, winning 10 matches at the tournament, which ties him with Sinner and Daniil Medvedev for the most victories among men during that period.
Shelton, only 22, is riding high after winning his first Masters 1000 title in Toronto, becoming the first American to achieve this since Roddick in 2003. His recent performance included a remarkable streak of three deciding-set tiebreaks, the most by any player en route to a Masters 1000 title. In his opening match, Shelton faced no break points against him and recorded only five aces, the fewest in any major match victory of his career.
With a record of 21-0 against unseeded opponents in Grand Slam events since the start of 2024, Shelton’s performance highlights his rising status in the sport.
Fritz has also been on a roll, winning 22 of his last 27 matches since the French Open, the highest tally in this timeframe on the men’s tour. Both players will enjoy a two-day break before their second-round matches on Wednesday. Shelton is set to face either Pablo Carreno Busta or Pablo Llamas Ruiz, while Fritz awaits the winner of Sebastian Baez versus Lloyd Harris.
In other men’s singles action on Sunday, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, the 18th seed from Spain, dominated Alexander Shevchenko of Russia, winning 6-1, 6-1, 6-2. Additionally, the Czech Republic’s Jakub Mensik, a 19-year-old seeded 16th, secured a victory against Nicolas Jarry of Chile with a score of 7-6 (5), 6-3, 6-4. Italy’s Luciano Darderi, seeded 32nd, also won in straight sets against Australia’s Rinky Hijikata, while France’s Arthur Rinderknech needed four sets to defeat Roberto Carballes Baena of Spain, finishing with a score of 7-6 (2), 7-5, 4-6, 6-2.
As the tournament progresses, both Shelton and Fritz will be looking to build on their strong starts and aim for deeper runs in this prestigious event.
