US Open news and results LIVE: Coco Gauff and Novak Djokovic cruise before Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper begin
Coco Gauff got off to the perfect start in her defence of the US Open crown with a comfortable win over Varvara Gracheva, while 2017 champion Sloane Stephens suffered a surprise defeat by French player Clara Burel, despite the American winning the first set 6-0.
Guaff’s fellow American Ben Shelton continued his impressive rise, seeing off 2020 US Open champion Dominic Thiem in straight sets, bringing Thiem’s grand slam career to an end.
The men’s reigning champion Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev and Ugo Humbert also progressed, while the women’s Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen fought back to see off Amanda Anisimova, as Donna Vekic and Daria Kasatkina also made it into the second round.
On Tuesday, British players Katie Boulter, Emma Raducanu, Dan Evans and Jack Draper all begin their campaigns at Flushing Meadows, after Harriet Dart progressed and Jan Choinski – the German-born Polish-British player who represents the UK – was beaten in a heartbreaking fifth set by Roberto Carballes Baena having battled through qualifying to reach the main draw.
Carlos Alcaraz, the men’s 2022 champion, also plays his first match, as does world No 1 Jannik Sinner in the wake of revelations he failed a doping test before being cleared of wrongdoing by an independent tribunal.
Follow all the latest US Open news, results and build-up to today’s action.
US Open 2024
US Open underway with first round matches at Flushing Meadows
Britain’s Harriet Dart wins to book stiff second-round test
Dominic Thiem’s grand slam career ends at hands of Ben Shelton
Novak Djokovic clinches win to match Roger Federer record
British qualifier Jan Choinski falls in heartbreaking fifth set
Katie Boulter, Dan Evans, Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu play today
US Open today: Djokovic & Gauff begin defence of singles titles
12:50 , Lawrence Ostlere
Novak Djokovic and Coco Gauff began the defence of their US Open titles with easy first-round victories at Flushing Meadows.
Dominic Thiem’s grand slam career is over as he lost to Ben Shelton ahead of his October retirement while Harriet Dart was a British winner.
On Tuesday, Jannik Sinner enters the fray for the first time since his drugs controversy while Jack Draper, Dan Evans, Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter are also in British action.
US Open results: Aryna Sabalenka cruises through to second round
12:28 , Lawrence Ostlere
Last year’s runner-up Aryna Sabalenka had a much more straightforward evening’s work as she beat Priscilla Hon in straight sets in Louis Armstrong Stadium.
Clara Burel: ‘I just kept fighting'
12:13 , Lawrence Ostlere
“I was a little bit nervous at the beginning. Sloane Stephens was making it (tough) for me,” Burel said in an on-court TV interview. “I just kept fighting. I found a way. I think that was the turning point when I tried to be more aggressive, I started to win more points… it started to pay off.”
US Open results: Sloane Stephens slumps to defeat from commanding position
11:52 , Lawrence Ostlere
Former champion Sloane Stephens will be having nightmares about her first-round exit.
The American opened the night session and looked like she would be having an early night as she won the first nine games against Frenchwoman Clara Burel to lead 6-0 3-0.
However, she was unbelievably unable to finish the job, despite getting the chance to serve for the set in the decider.
Burel put in an inspired performance to win 0-6 7-5 7-5.
US Open results: Elina Svitolina wins, Maria Sakkari pulls out injured
11:38 , Lawrence Ostlere
There was also an early win for Elina Svitolina, who came from a set down to beat Argentinian Maria Lourdes Carle, but ninth seed Maria Sakkari was an early casualty as she retired injured with a shoulder injury after losing the first set to Yafan Wang.
US Open results: Madison Keys through to second round
11:20 , Lawrence Ostlere
Madison Keys, seeded 14th, got her campaign up and running with a 6-4 6-1 win over Katerina Siniakova.
The American, a finalist at Flushing Meadows in 2017, has struggled with injuries this season but showed no sign of any lingering issues on Louis Armstrong Stadium court where she crushed 17 winners and broke her Czech opponent five times.
Nine-times Grand Slam women’s doubles champion Siniakova, who won the mixed doubles gold medal at the Paris Games earlier this month, struggled with her serve. She made just 52% of her first serves and produced 11 double faults.
After a competitive opening set in the first meeting of the two veteran players, the 14th-seeded Keys turned up the aggression to break to start the second.
Keys did not let up from there, slapping an inside out forehand winner to hold serve at love for 5-1 and rifling a service return Siniakova could not handle on match point to end the affair.
Keys reached the tournament’s semi-finals last year where she faced Aryna Sabalenka and appeared to be rolling after winning the first set 6-0 but eventually lost in a heart-breaker.
This season she was forced to retire in the third sets from her matches at Wimbledon in July and Toronto earlier this month with injuries.
Next up for Keys in is a second-round meeting with Australian qualifier Maya Joint.
US Open results: Qinwein Zheng recovers to reach second round
11:02 , Lawrence Ostlere
Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng survived a scare against home favourite Amanda Anisimova.
Anisimova started strongly on Louis Armstrong and surged to the opening set.
But Zheng, who stunned Iga Swiatek on her way to gold in Paris earlier this month, recovered to record a 4-6 6-4 6-2 success.
Coco Gauff: ‘Whether it’s 2024 or not, I will do it again’
10:49 , Lawrence Ostlere
The reigning champion said: “I’m not going to put pressure on myself on my victory lap. I’m treating this tournament like if you’re defending something it means you won.
“If you did it, it means you’re going to do it again. Whether I do it again this year again or not, I am going to do it again. Whether it’s 2024 or not, I will do it again.
“The last couple of weeks were tough, and I was like, ‘I have to do this and do that’, but I don’t have to prove anything to anyone except myself.
“So this whole week or two weeks are just about proving all the expectations that I have on myself.
“I have a lot left to give this game, and whether that’s going to happen this year or in the future, I have many more years coming back here, and I’m not going to win every year.
“So I think just that perspective and just having the belief that I can but not the expectation that I should.”
US Open results: Coco Gauff eases past France’s Varvara Gracheva
10:36 , Lawrence Ostlere
Coco Gauff has vowed to win the US Open again after beginning the defence of her 2023 title in style.
The American claimed her first grand slam title 12 months ago and kicked off her 2024 campaign by dropping just two games in a 6-2 6-0 rout of Varvara Gracheva on Arthur Ashe.
Gauff has not been in the best of form in recent months but is hoping a return to New York can spark a resurgence.
Today at the US Open: Order of play
10:23 , Lawrence Ostlere
Iga Swiatek, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner headline the second day of action at the US Open as the first round continues.
Swiatek and Alcaraz were US Open champions in 2022 and return to New York among the favourites for the final grand slam of the year.
Alcaraz won the titles at Roland Garros and Wimbledon and the Spaniard insists he is ready to go despite a worrying ankle twist in training.
Meanwhile, his young rival Sinner arrives at Flushing Meadows under the cloud of two failed anti-doping tests, for which he was cleared of fault.
US Open order of play and today’s schedule including Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz
Novak Djokovic: ‘Arthur Ashe is the loudest stadium in tennis'
10:10 , Lawrence Ostlere
Djokovic said: “I wasn’t aware of it to be honest. It’s the biggest stadium, definitely the loudest we have in the history of our sport.
“The night sessions are the best in the world on Arthur Ashe and ever since the roof was introduced it became even louder. Electric atmosphere. Incredible energy.
“Obviously with some new rules this year with the crowd able to move around, there are a lot of things happening on court.
“We’re clocking midnight right now. I love night sessions, maybe not this late but nevertheless it was great fun.
“I wanted to kickstart the tournament in the right way and I think I did.”
US Open results: Novak Djokovic clinches win to match Roger Federer record
09:57 , Lawrence Ostlere
Novak Djokovic was crowned the king of Arthur Ashe after his first-round win at the US Open.
The four-time champion beat Radu Albot in straight sets to claim a record-breaking 78th win on the main showcourt at Flushing Meadows.
The 6-2 6-2 6-4 victory over the qualifier also sees him level with Roger Federer on 89 wins at the US Open.
Jan Choinski: ‘In the end I ran out of steam'
09:44 , Lawrence Ostlere
“It was a great match,” said Choinski. “I got a full-blown cold with sinusitis and a cough after qualifying. It was getting better but especially in the first two sets, I had the mucus still in my lungs so I didn’t feel great physically at the beginning. I managed to turn things around then in the fifth set, I started feeling my legs a little bit and I I felt my legs cramping.
“I tried everything I could to somehow stay in the match. In the end I ran out of steam a little bit but I am very happy with what I showed, especially in this heat here. I feel ok. I will survive.”
US Open results: Jan Choinski falls in heartbreaking fifth set
09:32 , Lawrence Ostlere
Jan Choinski became the first British casualty of the US Open after falling to an agonising five-set defeat to Roberto Carballes Baena.
Choinski, ranked 276 in the world, had earned himself a 100,000 US dollar (£75,730) payday by coming through qualifying to earn a spot in the main draw at Flushing Meadows for the first time.
And he looked to be heading for a swift exit as he found himself two sets and a break down to the world number 55.
But the British number 10 rallied to send it to a decider, only for Carballes Baena to regain control and earn a 6-2 6-3 5-7 6-7 (5) 6-3 victory.
Dominic Thiem: ‘The normal life is now coming'
09:20 , Lawrence Ostlere
“I was struggling enough in the last years, especially since I was not able to come back to my level,” he said.
“But once I took the decision this year in March, from this moment on I was happy about it.
“Obviously I was also able to kind of prepare already for this new chapter that is coming soon.
“I always loved playing on tour, and I was very patient about it, but honestly, I also always really enjoyed being home and to have, as much as it was possible, a normal life at home.
“And that’s why I really look forward to this one now, that the normal life is now coming.
“That’s why I think it’s not that difficult for me, and that’s why I’m really also happy with my decision.”
US Open results: Dominic Thiem’s grand slam career ends at hands of Ben Shelton
09:12 , Lawrence Ostlere
Dominic Thiem’s grand slam career is over after losing in the first round of the US Open to American Ben Shelton.
The 30-year-old is retiring after his home tournament in Vienna in October and was given the red-carpet treatment at Flushing Meadows, the venue of his one grand slam win in 2020.
Thiem was handed a wild card and the honour of opening Arthur Ashe on the first day of the tournament but succumbed to a 6-4 6-2 6-2 loss to American 13th seed Ben Shelton.
The Austrian, who has been besieged by injuries in recent years, said he is “happy” about his retirement and is looking forward to life after tennis.
Harriet Dart’s mum brings ‘different dynamic’ to coaching duties
09:05 , Lawrence Ostlere
Harriet Dart is enjoying having her mum as her coach for the US Open and says the pair have only had one argument.
Dart made it into the second round at Flushing Meadows for the first time after disposing of Frenchwoman Chloe Paquet 6-1 6-2 on Monday.
With her regular coach Olga Morozova reluctant to travel outside the UK, Dart’s mum Susie stepped up in her absence for the American hard-court swing.
It brought instant results in New York, with Dart set to reach a provisional career high of 66.
“It’s a different dynamic, that’s for sure,” the 26-year-old said.
More:
Harriet Dart’s mum brings ‘different dynamic’ to coaching duties
US Open results: Britain’s Harriet Dart books stiff second-round test
08:59 , Lawrence Ostlere
Harriet Dart made it through to the second round of the US Open for the first time after breezing past Chloe Paquet in New York.
Dart is enjoying the best period of her career and after making it through to the third round at Wimbledon, she has followed it up by winning her first main draw match at Flushing Meadows.
The 26-year-old dropped just two games in a dominant performance which saw her win 6-1 6-2 and victory will see her ranking rise to a provisional career high of 66 in the world.
She will have her work cut out to repeat her Wimbledon feat as 13th seed Emma Navarro waits in the next round.
US Open news and result
08:50 , Lawrence Ostlere
Coco Gauff got off to the perfect start in her defence of the US Open crown with a comfortable win over Varvara Gracheva, while 2017 finalist Madison Keys also made a smooth passage to the second round.
Guaff’s fellow American Ben Shelton continued his impressive rise, seeing off 2020 US Open champion Dominic Thiem in straight sets.
Alexander Zverev and Ugo Humbert also progressed on the men’s side, while the women’s Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen battled back to see off Amanda Anisimova, as Donna Vekic and Daria Kasatkina also made it into the second round.
On Tuesday, British players Katie Boulter, Emma Raducanu, Dan Evans and Jack Draper all begin their campaigns at Flushing Meadows, after Jon Choinski – the German-born Polish-British player who represents the UK – was beaten in a heartbreaking fifth set by Roberto Carballes Baena having battled through qualifying to reach the main draw.
Follow all the latest US Open news, results and build-up to today’s action.
