New York, August 31, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Elina Svitolina, Marta Kostyuk, Jasmine Paolini and Jessica Pegula began their US Open 2026 campaigns with opening-round victories on Sunday, while Kamilla Rakhimova produced the day’s biggest upset by defeating No. 27 seed Barbora Krejcikova.
Seven seeded players featured in the women’s singles draw on Day 1, with six advancing. Paolini was the only seeded player among the winners to require three sets.
Ninth seed Svitolina opened the first night session on Louis Armstrong Stadium with a commanding 6-1, 6-2 victory over Solana Sierra in 52 minutes. The Ukrainian improved to 9-2 in her last 11 Grand Slam opening-round matches and moved to 117 major-match wins, the most by a Ukrainian woman in the Open Era.
No. 11 seed Kostyuk, who has reached the semifinals at the last two Grand Slam tournaments, began her bid for a third straight semifinal appearance with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Storm Hunter in 67 minutes on Grandstand. Kostyuk closed out the match strongly, winning the final five games and seven of the last eight, while finishing with eight aces and 22 winners against 12 unforced errors. The victory took her season record to 33-8.
Paolini faced a tougher test against Veronika Erjavec before prevailing 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 in one hour and 46 minutes. The No. 19 seed responded well after dropping the second set, producing 36 winners against 27 unforced errors.
Paolini reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals this summer but has yet to advance to the fourth round at the US Open.
No. 18 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova defeated McCartney Kessler 6-2, 6-2 in 66 minutes, while No. 31 seed Leylah Fernandez beat Zhang Shuai 6-3, 6-2 in 75 minutes.
The biggest upset came from Rakhimova, who defeated No. 27 seed Krejcikova to disrupt an otherwise routine opening day for the seeded players.
Former World No. 1 Karolina Pliskova also staged a remarkable comeback. The unseeded Czech trailed Belgium’s Hanne Vandewinkel 6-2, 5-2 and faced a match point before winning nine consecutive games to complete a 2-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory in two hours and 30 minutes.
Pliskova has now reached the second round in each of her last 10 US Open appearances, a run that includes one final and five quarterfinal appearances.
Other first-round results saw Polina Iatcenko defeat Renata Zarazua 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(7); Donna Vekic beat Talia Gibson 6-2, 4-6, 6-3; Lanlana Tararudee overcame Elvina Kalieva 6-3, 6-7(4); Lucrezia Stefanini defeated Dayana Yastremska 6-3, 4-6, 6-1; Wang Xinyu beat Emiliana Arango 6-4, 6-2; Katie Boulter defeated Carol Young Suh Lee 6-4, 3-6, 6-0; and Taylah Preston beat Alycia Parks 6-3, 6-3.
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