Pegula, Kostyuk and Medvedev Advance in Opening Day of US Open
Third seed Jessica Pegula and 11th seed Marta Kostyuk won their first-round matches, while Daniil Medvedev overcame a difficult build-up to defeat Hugo Gaston on the US Open's opening day.
Jessica Pegula, the No. 3 seed, opened the US Open with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Elena-Gabriela Ruse, saying she felt nervous early in the match but was reassured by her coaches. Her win keeps her on track to claim the world No. 1 ranking if she captures her first major title and Elena Rybakina does not reach the semifinals. Pegula will meet the winner of the Venus Williams-Sofia Kenin match in the second round.
Marta Kostyuk, seeded 11th, also secured a straight-sets win, defeating Storm Hunter 6-4, 6-1. Kostyuk noted the advantage of playing on Sunday, adding that a loss would feel like the tournament never began.
Daniil Medvedev, the No. 7 seed and 2021 champion, overcame Hugo Gaston 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 after a challenging preparation period. "Last couple of weeks was not easy," Medvedev said, "but I’m happy that today I managed to produce high-level tennis."
Other first-round results included Jasmine Paolini (No. 19) and Leylah Fernandez (No. 31) advancing, while Barbora Krejcikova (No. 27) was upset by Kamilla Rakhimova. American Tommy Paul rebounded from a first-set tiebreak loss to defeat Coleman Wong in four sets.
The tournament, now in its second year of a three-year, $800 million renovation of Arthur Ashe Stadium, features new lower-level seating, upgraded entertainment areas and a player performance center, with completion slated for the 2027 edition.