Grand Slam drama unfolded at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York as top-seeded Alexander Zverev survived a grueling five-set thriller against Lorenzo Sonego in the first round of the US Open. Meanwhile, French veteran Gael Monfils etched his name into the history books by securing a historic victory on his milestone 40th birthday. Top contenders across both the men's and women's draws mostly progressed, though a few seeded players suffered early exits.
Alexander Zverev Prevails in Five-Set Marathon
French Open champion Alexander Zverev needed four hours and 52 minutes to battle past unseeded Italian Lorenzo Sonego. Zverev triumphed with a scoreline of 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(7), 7-5, 6-4 in a match filled with intense baseline exchanges and momentum shifts. After capturing the opening set, Zverev dropped the next two sets before mounting a determined comeback to claim the final two sets.
The result marks Zverev's seventh consecutive victory over Sonego, who is ranked 89th in the world. Sonego has now failed to progress beyond the second round in all 10 of his US Open appearances. Following the encounter, Zverev reflected that undergoing such a rigorous physical test was exactly what he needed to build confidence after struggling in his previous two tournament outings.
Gael Monfils Reaches Historic Milestone on 40th Birthday
Gael Monfils celebrated his 40th birthday in memorable fashion by dismantling Adolfo Daniel Vallejo 2-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-0. After dropping the opening set, the Frenchman dominated the remaining three sets, surrendering only three games to seal a comfortable win.
With this victory, Monfils became the oldest male player to win a match at the US Open since Jimmy Connors accomplished the feat. Connors achieved his historic milestone on September 2, 1992, when he defeated Jaime Oncins at the age of 40.
Women's Draw: Rybakina and Gauff Advance as Bencic Falls
In the women's singles draw, second seed Elena Rybakina comfortably defeated 17-year-old Californian player Thea Frodin 6-3, 6-2. Fourth seed Coco Gauff also secured a straight-sets victory, navigating past Zeynep Sonmez 6-3, 6-4 to seal her place in the second round.
Fifth seed Maria Andreeva eased past Indonesia's Janice Tjen 6-2, 6-2, while 17th seed Alex Eala dispatched Mary Stoiana 6-1, 6-2. Madison Keys also posted a straight-sets victory. However, 12th seed Belinda Bencic was eliminated in a major upset, falling to unseeded Kazakh player Yulia Putintseva 4-6, 7-5, 6-3.
Men's Action: Taylor Fritz and Flavio Cobolli Progress
Ninth seed Taylor Fritz of the United States put on a dominant display to defeat compatriot Darwin Blanch 6-3, 6-2, 6-4. Elsewhere in the men's field, fifth seed Flavio Cobolli of Italy recovered from a two-set deficit to outlast Argentina's Francisco Comesana 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in a demanding five-set clash.
