Champions in Qualifying: Zheng, Andreescu and Watson Win on Day One

A Qualifying Field Like No Other

The opening day of US Open qualifying on Monday produced results that would have seemed unthinkable only a few years ago: an Olympic gold medalist, a former US Open champion and a Wimbledon winner all fighting for spots in a Grand Slam main draw. With 128-player fields on both the men's and women's sides requiring three straight wins to earn a place in New York — the main draw starts on August 30 — the qualifying event at Flushing Meadows has become a compelling story well before the tournament proper.

Women: Zheng Dominant, Andreescu Clinical, Watson Upsets the Sixth Seed

Qinwen Zheng, the 2024 Paris Olympic gold medalist and former world No. 4, opened her campaign with a composed 6-3, 6-2 victory over compatriot You Xiaodi. Ranked outside the top 120 after right-elbow surgery removed her from competition for the bulk of 2025, Zheng is making her first-ever qualifying appearance at the US Open. Her season record of 11 wins and 13 losses — including six first-round exits — had raised doubts, but Monday's performance was authoritative: seven aces, all four break points saved, her serve barely tested. In Round 2 she faces France's Clara Burel, a more complex challenge that will reveal how far her confidence has genuinely returned.

Bianca Andreescu, who claimed the US Open title in 2019 by defeating Serena Williams, was equally decisive. The Canadian, now ranked No. 170 after years derailed by persistent injuries, dismantled Eva Vedder 6-1, 6-2 and barely broke a sweat. Andreescu has spent recent seasons rebuilding her ranking on the Futures and Challenger circuits; Monday was a reminder of what her game looks like when the body cooperates.

Britain's Heather Watson provided the day's biggest upset, rallying from a set down to eliminate sixth seed Claire Liu 4-6, 6-2, 6-4. Watson almost let a double-break lead slip in the final set but regrouped to set up a second round against Spain's Angela Fita Boluda. A US Open main-draw appearance had eluded her for five years; two more wins would end that wait.

Men: Géa Seeded First, Cecchinato Advances, Dimitrov and Draper Still to Come

On the ATP side, Frenchman Arthur Géa entered as the top seed in the men's qualifying draw after winning the ATP 250 event in Los Cabos. Géa narrowly missed the main-draw direct-acceptance threshold and publicly declined a wildcard offered by the French Tennis Federation — which went instead to Gaël Monfils — vowing to "come back stronger" through qualifying. Italy's Marco Cecchinato, a Roland Garros semifinalist in 2018, won his opener against Britain's Liam Broady 7-6, 6-3 to move into the second round.

WTAWuhan: Chinese outsiders topple Eala and Cîrstea on opening days

Still awaiting their first-round results are Grigor Dimitrov (No. 142), the former world No. 3 and three-time Grand Slam semifinalist who missed the 2025 US Open entirely through a chest injury, against Lorenzo Giustino; and Jack Draper (No. 147), the former Indian Wells champion whose ranking tumbled after recurring injuries since Wimbledon 2025. Japan's Kei Nishikori, granted a USTA wildcard for a farewell season at No. 479 in the world, is also in the draw — one of the most poignant entries the qualifying event has ever seen.

The Bigger Picture

Qualifying continues through August 27, producing 16 men's and 16 women's qualifiers for the main draw. Aryna Sabalenka defends her women's title, while Alexander Zverev steps in as men's top seed following Jannik Sinner's withdrawal through injury. For now, though, the qualifying courts at Flushing Meadows are hosting some of the week's most emotionally loaded tennis.