What to watch at U.S. Open: Alcaraz, Sinner, and Swiatek headline second day

Posted by Admin August 26, 2024 Tennis

Day 2 of the U.S. Open brings the top half of the men’s and women’s singles onto the court in Flushing Meadows.

Jannik Sinner, men’s world No. 1, plays for the first time since the ruling in his doping case was announced, and Carlos Alcaraz, who has won two of this year’s three previous Grand Slams, also gets underway.

Iga Swiatek, the women’s world No. 1 and 2022 champion, also opens her tournament, while Louis Armstrong brings a bumper day and night of matches.

Here’s what to watch, on the three show courts and around the grounds.

Start time: Noon ET, 9 a.m. PT
TV: ESPN, Tennis Channel

Iga Swiatek, the women’s world No. 1, enters the U.S. Open after winning bronze at the Olympics and begins her quest for her second major of 2024. Swiatek won the U.S. Open in 2022, and her opponent, Kamilla Rakhimova, is ranked 79th in the world. Her best result at the U.S. Open was a third-round exit in 2021.

Jannik Sinner (1) vs. Mackenzie McDonald

The men’s world No. 1 comes to New York under serious pressure. This is the first match for Sinner since he received an anti-doping sanction, after twice testing positive for clostebol, a banned substance, in March.

He was stripped of his ranking points, prize money and results from Indian Wells in March. Sinner, who in his public comments Friday said he didn’t intentionally do anything wrong, split from his trainer and physiotherapist after the decision. Mackenzie McDonald, Sinner’s opponent, is ranked world No. 140 and trying to go beyond the first round of a Grand Slam for the first time in 2024.

Jannik Sinner answered questions about his two positive tests for a banned substance Friday. (Jamie Squire / Getty Images)

Carlos Alcaraz (3) vs. Li Tu (Q)

Carlos Alcaraz is searching for his third major of 2024, after winning the French Open and Wimbledon back to back. He enters the U.S. Open after losing to Novak Djokovic in the Olympic gold medal match and going out of the Masters 1000 tournament in Cincinnati in Round 1. Alcaraz’s opponent, Australian Li Tu, is making his U.S. Open debut, after qualifying into the main draw.

Shelby Rogers vs. Jessica Pegula (6)

Jessica Pegula is coming into the U.S. Open with confidence after defending her Canadian Open title in Toronto and reaching the final of Cincinnati. Pegula is still searching for the first semifinal appearance at a major, having reached the quarterfinals six times.

Shelby Rogers, meanwhile, announced shortly before the event that she is retiring after this year’s tournament. She had two quarterfinal appearances at Slams in her career (2016 French Open, 2020 U.S. Open) and her most memorable match at Flushing Meadows was beating world No. 1 Ash Barty in 2021.

Shelby Rogers announced that this would be her final tournament during qualifying week. (Vaughn Ridley / Getty Images)

Louis Armstrong

Start time: 11 a.m. ET, 9 a.m. PT
TV: ESPN, Tennis Channel

Danielle Collins (11) vs. Caroline Dolehide

Danielle Collins is playing in her final U.S. Open, after she announced that she was retiring from professional tennis earlier this year. Collins’ best result at the U.S. Open was in the fourth round in 2022, but this season has been one of the best of her career. Dolehide, meanwhile, is likely sick of the sight of her compatriots during Grand Slam tournaments. She has lost to Coco Gauff, Collins and Gauff at each of the three majors this year.

Jelena Ostapenko (10) vs. Naomi Osaka (WC)

This is one of the most anticipated first-round matches at the U.S. Open. Naomi Osaka is a two-time champion in New York and is trying to rediscover her form on the hard courts. Jelena Ostapenko reached the quarterfinals of Wimbledon in 2024, and her best result at the U.S. Open was the quarters in 2019. This is the pair’s second meeting, with Osaka winning the first match at the 2016 French Open, and it promises to be a spectacle of power tennis.

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Naomi Osaka is a two-time U.S. Open champion. (Dylan Buell / Getty Images)

Dusan Lajovic vs. Daniil Medvedev (5)

Daniil Medvedev has become a fan favorite at the U.S. Open. After receiving a chorus of boos to start the 2019 tournament, Medvedev made the final that year, won the title in 2021 and was last year’s runner-up to Novak Djokovic. It’s been a bumpy summer hard court season for Medvedev, losing in the first round in Toronto and Cincinnati. Dusan Lajovic will be hoping to spring an upset, with the Serbian never having gone beyond the second round in New York.

Bianca Andreescu (WC) vs. Jasmine Paolini (5)

This is another popcorn first-round match. It’s the third consecutive Slam that Bianca Andreescu and Jasmine Paolini have squared off, with the Italian winning both matches. Paolini made the final at both the French Open and Wimbledon, while Andreescu is trying to regain the form she had five years ago, when she won the U.S. Open.

Lorenzo Sonego vs. Tommy Paul (14)

Tommy Paul enters the U.S. Open after winning an Olympic bronze medal in men’s doubles. But since playing the Olympics, on clay, Paul has struggled at the hard-court tournaments. He lost in the second round of Canada and the first round of Cincinnati. Paul’s opponent, Lorenzo Sonego, won the fourth ATP Tour title of his career the week before the U.S. Open, at Winston-Salem, N.C.

Tommy Paul reached his first Grand Slam semifinal in Australia in 2023. (Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images)

Grandstand

Start time: 11 a.m. ET, 9 a.m. PT
TV: ESPN, Tennis Channel

Stefanos Tsitsipas (11) vs. Thanasi Kokkinakis

Stefanos Tsitsipas enters the U.S. Open after splitting his coach Apostolos Tsitsipas, his dad. Tsitsipas struggled on the hard courts this summer, losing in the first round of Toronto and the second round of Cincinnati, and the Greek’s best result at the U.S. Open is the third round, in 2020 and 2021. Thanasi Kokkinakis was unfortunate to have to retire injured at Wimbledon and is a dangerous hard-court player when he is on.

Elena Rybakina (4) vs. Destanee Aiava (Q)

Elena Rybakina opened the tournament by splitting with her coach of five years, Stefano Vukov. The Kazakh, who has struggled with fitness all year, pulled out of the Canadian Open before losing in the first round of Cincinnati in three sets to Leylah Fernandez. Rybakina’s opponent, Destanee Aiava, is making her U.S. Open debut after advancing through qualifying.

Elena Rybakina has struggled for fitness throughout the year. (Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images)

Corentin Moutet vs. Sebastian Korda (16)

Sebastian Korda arrives at the U.S. Open with confidence. He won the Citi Open in Washington and advanced to the semifinals of the Canadian Open before losing to eventual champion Alexei Popyrin. Korda, who has just one quarterfinal appearance at a Slam in his career (2023 Australian Open), hasn’t made it past the second round in New York. Corentin Moutet, a master of the underarm serve, will thrive on a hostile Grandstand.

Emma Raducanu vs. Sofia Kenin

It’s a matchup of two past Slam champions. Emma Raducanu advanced from qualifying to lifting the U.S. Open trophy in 2021, while Sofia Kenin won the 2020 Australian Open. Raducanu’s only tournament before the U.S. Open was the Citi Open, where she advanced to the quarterfinal. It is the first time that these two past major winners are squaring off.

Emma Raducanu won the title as a qualifier in 2021. (Elsa / Getty Images)

Around the grounds

Start time: 11 a.m. ET, 9 a.m. PT
TV: ESPN, Tennis Channel

Eva Lys (Q) vs. Marie Bouzkova

Fourth on Court 4, Marie Bouzkova’s hard-court summer consisted of making the final at the Citi Open. But in Toronto and Cincinnati, she lost in the first round. Her opponent, Eva Lys, is one to watch, and the 22-year-old player from Germany qualified into her second consecutive U.S. Open.

Jakub Mensik vs. Felix Auger-Aliassime (19)

First on Court 5, Felix Auger-Aliassime won Olympic bronze in mixed doubles and made the bronze medal match in singles. Jakub Mensik, who is on the rise as a young star in tennis, reached his first ATP final in 2024 and recorded his first top-10 win of his career, when he defeated Andrey Rublev in Qatar.

Felix Auger-Aliassime played some of his best tennis in recent times at the 2024 Paris Olympics. (Clive Brunskill / Getty Images)

Yulia Putintseva (30) vs. Linda Noskova

Third on Court 6, Yulia Putintseva’s defining summer moment came at Wimbledon, when she upset world No. 1 Swiatek in three sets. Her best result at the U.S. Open was the quarterfinal in 2020. Linda Noskova played the week before the U.S. Open, winning the Monterrey Open for her first WTA Tour title. It is the first time these players will face each other.

Fabio Fognini vs. Tomas Machac

Second on Court 10, Fabio Fognini’s best result at the U.S. Open came in 2015. Fognini made the third round of Wimbledon after beating eighth seed Casper Ruud. Tomas Mahac’s defining moment of 2024 was winning Olympic gold with Katerina Siniakova, but he also beat Djokovic in the semifinals of the ATP 250 in Geneva. But that’s not really what this match is about. Both players have an eye for the flamboyant, and this should be an exhibition.

Arthur Fils (24) vs. Learner Tien

Third on Court 11, Arthur Fils enters the U.S. Open after losing in the first round of Toronto and the second round of Cincinnati. Fils won his first ATP 500 title in 2024 and made it to his first round-of-16 at a Slam at this year’s Wimbledon. Learner Tien received a wild card for the U.S. Open, the third consecutive year he’s playing this tournament. Tien had a 28-match win streak this year and won his first Challenger.

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Brenda Fruhvirtova vs. Varvara Lepchenko (Q)

Third on Court 14, Czech rising star Brenda Fruhvirtova is making her U.S. Open debut. At 17 years old, Fruhvirtova also made her Wimbledon debut this summer, when she reached the second round. Varvara Lepchenko, at 38, is playing in her 11th U.S. Open. Her best result was the fourth round in 2015.