First serves, lasting stories: OPENING week at the us open

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                                                                           Writer: Yerelyn Cortez Hidalgo

Sunday, August 24, 2025

Opening Day, Opening Declarations

The first day of the US Open at the USTA Billie Jean National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows is always a current that is challenging to track. The sky was a bright blue, the gates opened, and people began to pour in to witness the thrills of another year of great tennis matches. The courts were transfused with the weight of the past as much as with the promise of the future.

Emma Raducanu stepped into Arthur Ashe Stadium with confidence, and she found the rhythm that made her a champion. Less than an hour into the match, she easily surpassed Ena Shibahara 6-1, 6-2, and with each clean hit, she confidently breezed through her first match. Aryna Sabalenka squeezed into her own title defense mode across the grounds; her strength has been kept poised and intact. Rebeka Masarova was surely ready to take on the world's number 1 female tennis player, but Sabalenka defeated her with a 7-5, 6-1  final score.

The Americans gave their own guarantees. Ben Shelton was swaggeringly on top of Ignacio Buse in straight sets, sending the only Peruvian player this year at the US Open back home to Lima, Peru. Taylor Fritz was steady and exciting, followed by an unemotional dismissal of Emilio Nova. Their performances lifted the crowd, drawing them into a shared sense of belief and exhilaration. No longer just a hopeful murmur, U.S. Men's tennis now stands on the stage. 

And then came Alexandra Eala — nineteen, fearless, refusing to fold. Down a set to Clara Tauson, the young Filipina found another gear and clawed back until the final-set tiebreak fell her way. The roar that rose inside the stadium wasn’t just for a match won, but for the sense of a new chapter being written right in front of us.

Towards the end of the afternoon, the name Novak Djokovic 

drifted across conversations, and the city’s pulse seemed woven through every rally. Opening day didn’t whisper an introduction; it declared itself with conviction. For the next two weeks, Queens will not just host tennis — it will become its beating heart.

Monday, August 25, 2025

Timeless Icons, Fresh Impressions

Day Two began with mystery and wonder as Carlos Alcaraz lit up social media even before he took to the court. His new shaved hairstyle - a last-minute fix after a haircut gone wrong - ended up looking just right. This bold look blended seamlessly with the official matches, leaving a lasting impression on fans long after his brilliant performance.

Forty-five-year-old Venus Williams, who did not have to prove anything anymore, moved across the hardcourt with the lightness of a person who has nothing to demonstrate and everything to tell. Unrushed and accurate, her play seemed to me like a reminder that greatness is never found on the balance sheet but on the court. Every swing was the silent power of a career that cannot be stopped by time itself.

The day also provided some shocking moments. With the energy of Arthur Ashe behind him, Frances Tiafoe hit nineteen aces and earned fifty one winners in what was less a victory than a declaration. And out of the limelight, in a more muted area of the draw, Coleman Wong made his own name in the history of tennis as the first player from Hong Kong to carve his name into tennis history in a Grand Slam singles match at the US Open.  And it was a victory that was as sudden as it was long delayed, evidence that New York never knows how to shut out a story that it had not as yet been told.

Tuesday, August 26, 2025

Commanding the Stage

If Day One belonged to the return of familiar names, Day Three belonged to those who arrived ready to set the standard. Iga Świątek had to take only an hour or so to defeat Emiliana Arango, her strokes clear, her rhythm already set to the long highway ahead of her. On the adjacent court, Jannik Sinner was replying in his own kind of mastery, sweeping Vit Kopriva away in straight sets so decisively that there can be but little doubt that he will remain to the end.

In the case of Britain, it was a more unforgiving day. Katie Boulter and Sonay Kartal were both beaten out in the preliminary, and the exit gates were a sobering thought of the frailty of national hopes. But in their stead, a fresh chorus of names came forth - Amanda Anisimova, Lorenzo Musetti, Eva Lys - each with the grace of a dancer who hoped to make their possibilities permanent.

The air was inevitable at Flushing Meadows on Day Three: seeds in court, newcomers carving their initials into the story, the draw closing as the second week was glimpsing at the end of the reach. 

Wednesday, August 27, 2025

Drama in the City

By midweek, the US Open felt like a tennis tournament and a Broadway show combined. Some performances were given 5 stars, while others were a disappointing 1-star. Top seeds advanced with the steady rhythm of inevitability: Aryna Sabalenka, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, and Ben Shelton all advancing as if choreographed. Their dominance was expected, almost rehearsed — until an unfamiliar name broke through. Belgium’s Raphael Collignon toppled twelfth seed Casper Ruud, sending shock through the grounds and reminding everyone that the US Open always saves room for rebellion.

The Americans added their own fuel. Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro carried home hopes forward, their victories greeted with roars that rippled across the outer courts. But it wasn’t just wins and losses that held attention; drama carried equal weight. Townsend and Ostapenko collided in a volatile match, tempers flaring, sportsmanship fraying, and the crowd caught in the crackling tension. In a match that called for resilience,  Ostapenko instead surrendered to frustration, a disappointing departure from the spirit of sportsmanship the US Open so often embodies.

And amid all this, Emma Raducanu, right after her previous victories, threw a touch of lightness, a smile, and a nod to the new buzzcut of Alcaraz, something that lightened the air and in the process reminded all of them that there is joy in the courts.

Day Four closed like a symphony of contrasts: power and upset, grit and glamour, tension and release. This was New York, after all, never content with a subtle quiet ending.

Thursday, August 28, 2025

Tears and Tempests

The fifth day at the US Open did not merely unfold; it surged. At 21 years of age, Coco Gauff was on the edge as far as Donna Vekic was concerned, with tears and emotions taking hold of her, but in the very next breath, the tears turned into commitment. She stabilized, and the crowd was super supportive, cheering her along. She stabilized, marshaled, and ran the game her way, 7-6, 6-2. The applause there was thunderous, and the appearance of Simone Biles in the audience increased the applause with the testimony of one young star who had the same mantle of power.

In other places, another type of tempest formed. Stefanos Tsitsipas, engaged in a grinder of a five-set match with Daniel Altmaier, glared at the German with his underhand. His irritation leaked over into open attack, and gave rise to one of those classic US Open debates in which rules, theater and personality come into direct conflict in full view of the audience. 

Not all tales were a victory. The revival of Emma Raducanu ended with the rifle of Elena Rybakina, who sent her packing with startling ferocity, 6-1, 6-2. It was not so much a dismissal as a warning of the narrowness of the margins at the top. 

By nightfall, a different charge of emotion, controversy, and dramatic apprehension was definitely at play. Day Five was not about the advancement of anyone in particular, but what tennis is when the tempests come a rolling.

Friday, August 29, 2025

Power, Poise, and the Unexpected

Friday at the US Open was not just an end-of-the-week match, but a match not to be forgotten. Carlos Alcaraz set the mood by easily defeating Luciano Darderi with a 6-2, 6-4, 6-0 match. His accuracy seemed almost rehearsed, but thrilling in its vigour. 

The Californian Taylor Fritz did not disappoint and went in full force with his four-set win over Jerome Kym 7-6, 6-7, 6-4, 6-4.  It was a reserved exercise, mastery over anarchy, a kind of performance that enabled the domestic audience to have something to cling to. The crowd loves him, and we continue to want more from him. May this be his time to make it to the finals?

Not all the stories had a happy ending. The match between Ben Shelton and Adrian Mannarino had to be cut short. Ben Shelton had severe shoulder pain, and it wasn't getting better. He was struggling and could no longer continue with his match, which led to his unfortunate retirement. Sometimes it's the body that decides, setting its own limits no matter how strong an athlete's mindset may be.

Elena Rybakina easily defeated Emma Raducanu with a 6-1, 6-2 match. It was speedy and brutal, a sharp reversal of the earlier radiance of Raducanu this week. It was a reminder that you have to take time to make a comeback. Jessica Pegula easily defeated Victoria Azarenka with a 6-1, 7-5 match. She continues to perform and is always ready to battle her next opponent.

Taylor Townsend is a fighter and is a strong contender at this US Open. She delivered an exceptional performance and played the night with grit. She stunned the number 5 seed Mirra Andreeva 7-5, 6-2, marking her return to the 16th round at Flushing Meadows for the first time since 2019. More than an upset, it was a performance layered with resilience--a player whose poise has become one of this US Open's defining stories.

Novak Djokovic reminded us that greatness doesn't vanish; it adapts. At thirty-eight years old, his body faltered in the second set, forcing a medical timeout. Yet he resurfaced with the determination that has defined his career. He reclaimed control, turning precision into power and poise into inevitability. Djokovic played against Cameron Norrie and had a 4-set win with a score of 6-4, 6-7, 6-2, 6-3. This was more than a win; it was a reaffirmation of perseverance and endurance. In doing so, Djokovic became the oldest man to reach the 16th round at the US Open since Jimmy Connors in 1991, standing now as the heir to that history. 

The US Open is not just about the matches and players but also the attendees. Which celebrity will be in attendance? From other sports figures, TV personalities, and even performers. Fat Joe appeared courtside in the President's Suite with his posse, cheering Novak Djokovic. A surprise appearance that injected a cultural beat into the evening, as everyone was reminded that at the US Open, the city and the game move in sync.

At day's end, everyone had seen it all: confidence and surprise, exposure and victory, legends extending their heritage and new names hewn their own. The US Open again demonstrated that it's not a tournament after all, but a living story - a story told one serve, one stumble, one surge at a time.

Saturday, August 30, 2025

The Day of Style, Steel and Surprise in the court, Court as a Runway

The last Saturday of August was like New York at its very end, under the summer sky. At the US Open, sport and style had met in a show where each serve was almost a spotlight, each rally a walk along the great stage of Arthur Ashe. When the US Open is the trendiest end-of-summer party in the city, the 30th of August was the evening when the stars had to perform on a couture level, embroidered by sweat, determination, and glamour.

Coco Gauff: Strength Rides on Grace

Coco Gauff stepped into the court as if she were wearing an expensive gown with tailor-made confidence and unwavering poise. Coco Gauff won the match with a 6-3, 6-1 score, but a simple match it was not; it was a statement match defeating Magdalena Frech. Even the forward strokes dictated the court like her own atelier, and created an impression of supremacy as smooth as silk slipping over skin.

Jannik Sinner: The Strength of a King

In the most interesting story of the day, World No. 1 Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner showcased strength. Having handed the first part to Denis Shapovalov, he wove the game yet another time in a royal tapestry of precision and industriousness, 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3. His coolness was velvet-papered, his recovery worked in gold thread, as a conquering king repairing his crown.

Naomi Osaka: The Cabaret Revival

Naomi Osaka was on the runway in Louis Armstrong Stadium. Surpassing Daria Kasatkina, she began with the drama of a couture debut--6-0 in the first set, that type of perfect formality that causes the audience to inhale. The second one escaped, but Osaka re-created the scene in three acts, winning 6-3 as if to remind the fashion world and tennis elite, in general, that her aura is still incandescent, and her presence is a headline item.

Iga Swiatek: The Queen of Delicacy

Some people cover themselves with flamboyance, whereas Iga Swiatek prefers minimalism: sharp lines, perfect tailoring, silent sophistication. The cutest thing about her 7-6(7-2), 6-4 victory over Anna Kalinskaya was a high-end couture: subtle, sturdy, and fashionable enough to be timeless. No melodramaticism, nothing but the simple excellence of sculpture.

The Supporting Cast: Moving Picture Drama

Karolina Muchova made her struggle an art. In her three-setter win from Linda Noskova (6-7, 6-4, 6-2), she showed that she had not only grit but grace. Amanda Anisimova sewed redemption into her own story, Jaqueline Cristian 6-4, 4-6, 6-2--proving that unraveling from the past can only push through with what is next to come.

When Flavio Cobolli retired, Lorenzo Musetti advanced to the position (6-3, 6-2, 2-0), although a less polished progress than Cobolli, he still had a forward stride on this season's stage of heroes.

The Day's Closing Look

The last weekend of August was not a tournament day: it was a book of tales that might have been in pages in a Vogue magazine--power tailored like a shirt, endurance sheared like cloth, triumphs pinned on like jewels. The air of New York in late summer smelled of espresso and ambition and a hint of champagne.

Fashion teaches us that its refusal is the mark of elegance; tennis teaches us that it is endurance. On this day, the contestants at the US Open had turned stoicism into the most fashionable appearance of all.