A day after Serena Williams began what is likely to be the final tournament of her tennis career, her older sister, Venus declined to comment on her own future plans following her first‑round defeat by Alison van Uytvanck of Belgium. “Right now I’m just focused on the doubles,” she said.
The elder Williams returned to the US Open with a tough first‑round defeat, losing 6-1, 7-6(5). Williams, a two-time champion here who has won seven grand slam titles overall, took nearly a year away from the tour from August 2021 after withdrawing from last year’s US Open with a leg injury.
“It was definitely the longest time I have been away from tennis and been without a racquet in my hand. So it was a completely new experience for me, getting a racquet back in my hand and trying to acclimate as quick as possible to be ready for the US Open, which was not easy. Definitely, like, playing lots of great points but it’s just, in the end, it’s just rust.”
Williams returned this August with wildcards into pre-US Open events, compiling a 0-4 record. On Tuesday she led by a break in the second set and then was level at 5-5 in the tiebreak before Van Uytvanck took the victory. She will likely return to action on Thursday alongside Serena as they team up together in doubles for what is likely the final time in their careers.
Second seed Rafael Nadal faced a surprise test in his first US Open appearance since winning the 2019 title, as he overcame 21-year-old Australian wildcard Rinky Hijikata 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 on Tuesday in the opening round.
Playing in only his second match after pulling out of Wimbledon with an abdominal injury, the Spaniard had speculated whether he was ready to take on New York and seemed to confirm those fears as he struggled on the return in the first set.
Hijikata broke the 22-times major winner with a crisp overhead shot in the seventh game of his grand slam debut, bringing the crowd to a roar.
"I started not that bad the first couple of games, but then I had some opportunities that I was not able to make," Nadal, 36, said after the match. "I didn't play a good game with my serve. Then he had the break. Then I was a little bit nervous."
After missing the entire North American hardcourt season, American Danielle Collins showed no signs of rust battling past twice US Open champion Naomi Osaka 7-6 (5), 6-3 on Tuesday and into the second round at Flushing Meadows.
The exit of Osaka, the tournament winner in 2018 and 2020, followed reigning champion Emma Raducanu's departure hours earlier as Flushing Meadows bid a first round farewell to its past two champions.
“It was Serena’s idea. She’s the boss, so I do whatever she tells me to do. We have had some great wins. It would be nice to add some more.”
Earlier the Wimbledon champion, Elena Rybakina, was defeated in the first round, losing against the French qualifier Clara Burel 6-4, 6-4. The top seed, Iga Swiatek, moved past Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 6-0 to reach the second round.
The former No 9 Andrea Petkovic announced her retirement from the sport after losing 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 to Belinda Bencic.
In the men’s draw the third seed Carlos Alcaraz reached the second round after his opponent, Sebastián Báez, retired early in the third set as Alcaraz led 7-5, 7-5, 2-0.
