History was made at the outset of the US Open as the tournament began its 145th edition on a Sunday for the first time ever. Traditionally, the Open, which began in 1881 in Newport, Rhode Island, starts on the last Monday of August — until this past weekend.
Top players who took the court on Day 1 included Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula, Emma Radaucanu, and Jasmine Paolina on the women’s side, in addition to the surprising Alexandra Eala, who became the first player from the Philippines to ever win a singles match in a Grand Slam main draw, defeating Denmark’s Clara Tauson 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (11).
The 20-year-old Eala, the world’s No. 70-ranked women’s player, was the 2022 US Open junior girls’ singles champion. Tauson was the Open’s No. 14 seed. She faced the world’s No. 95-ranked Cristina Bucsa yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon.
No. 6 Madison Keys, this year’s Australian Open champ, shockingly didn’t make it out of the first round, losing to Mexico’s Renata Zarazua 6-7 (10), 7-6 (3), and 7-5 with 89 self-inflicted unforced errors. Zarazua is ranked No. 82.
“For the first time in a while, my nerves really got the better of me, and it kind of became a little bit paralyzing,” said Keys, a native of Rock Island, Illinois. “I felt like I was just slow. I wasn’t seeing things the way that I wanted to, which I feel like resulted in a lot of bad decisions and lazy footwork.”
In the men’s draw, No. 7 Novak Djokovic, No. 6 Ben Shelton, and No. 4 Taylor Fritz all had victories, providing the Sunday crowd with an early look at some of the favorites to win the championship.
On Monday night, at age 45, two-time tournament champion (2000, 2001) Venus Williams played in her 25th U.S. Open as a wild card entry in the main draw. Her presence at Arthur Ashe Stadium drew buzz and generated enthusiasm in her first Grand Slam match since the 2023 U.S. Open. Despite her valiant effort, Williams fell 3-6, 6-2, 1-6 to No. 11 seed Karolina Muchova.
“I knew going into this match that people in this stadium, people in the United States, people around the world were really rooting for me, and that felt great,” said Williams. “That felt great to have that kind of support.”
The US Open is celebrating the 75th anniversary of trailblazer Althea Gibson’s debut at the tournament. Gibson, who died in 2003 in East Orange, New Jersey, was the first Black player — man or woman — to win a Grand Slam event, capturing the French Open in 1956.
“Althea accomplished so much,” Williams said, “and a lot of it has not been given the credit it deserves and the attention and the praise.”
Yesterday, HBCU Live at the 2025 U.S. Open was held for the fifth year, celebrating the culture, history, and pride of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). A tribute to the 75th anniversary of Althea Gibson breaking the color barrier in tennis was part of the festivities. Gibson, born in Clarendon County, South Carolina, and raised in Harlem (New York City), is a graduate of HBCU Florida A&M University.