Jessica Pegula is facing a challenging match against Leylah Fernandez, who has established a significant 5-1 lead after breaking the No. 3 seed for the second time. Pegula appears to be struggling with both her energy levels and her strategy at this stage of the contest.
Aryna Sabalenka has navigated a tricky moment while serving, currently leading Kamilla Rakhimova 6-3, 1-1. The defending champion raised concerns with the umpire regarding the smell of cannabis wafting into the Louis Armstrong Stadium from the outside, a recurring issue at the US Open that has sparked questions about possible solutions.
Ekaterina Alexandrova has made a strong start to the second set, breaking Marta Kostyuk to take a 2-0 lead after losing the first set 6-3. Meanwhile, Fernandez has surged ahead 3-0 against Pegula, who is now under pressure to secure her first game of the match.
Fernandez quickly took control of the match against Pegula, breaking early to lead 2-0 in the first set. The Canadian player, who was the runner-up to Emma Raducanu in the 2021 US Open final, has experienced a mixed journey since that match. Although she has only progressed past the third round at a Grand Slam once since then—at the 2022 French Open—she has claimed five WTA Tour titles and remains a consistent presence in the world’s top 30. This raises an interesting comparison between her career trajectory and that of Raducanu.
Sabalenka has secured the first set 6-3 while maintaining a dominant performance against her opponent. Kostyuk has also won her first set against Alexandrova with a score of 6-3, and Sorana Cirstea has taken the opener against Jasmine Paolini by the same margin, which some may consider an upset despite Cirstea being the higher seed at No. 16 compared to Paolini’s No. 19 ranking.
The first match at Arthur Ashe Stadium features Jessica Pegula going up against Leylah Fernandez.
In an amusing thought, one can picture Gaël Monfils transitioning to an office job, skillfully managing accounts after an intense four-hour match. It raises the question of whether there are other tennis legends who have pursued careers outside of the sport after retirement. Suggestions are welcome.
Gaël Monfils played his final Grand Slam singles match last night and has expressed no intention of remaining in tennis post-retirement. “I have a new chapter beginning next year. I will be working in finance,” he informed reporters. “I have already signed on to work in wealth management at a Swiss company, so my next chapter will involve office work.”
Monfils added, “I will always keep an eye on tennis because I love the sport. My wife is still competing. However, I don’t anticipate being heavily involved in tennis this coming year. I will certainly support Elina [Svitolina, his wife], but I will primarily focus on my finance career.”
Rakhimova is managing to hold on in the first set, capitalizing on a rare mishit from Sabalenka, who has otherwise looked formidable today with a 4-2 lead.
On the Grandstand court, Kostyuk has quickly broken Alexandrova. Meanwhile, Paolini, who initially broke serve, has seen her lead reduced as Cirstea fights back, now trailing 2-1 on serve.
Aryna Sabalenka has quickly gained momentum, breaking Rakhimova early to lead 2-0 in the first set. Rakhimova, ranked No. 92 in the world, displayed determination in her first-round match, saving match points to overcome Barbora Krejcikova.
Here’s a recap of yesterday’s events:
Today marks the beginning of the third round in New York, featuring seeded players competing against each other for the first time. The tournament draw is beginning to take shape, promising several intriguing matchups. Below is the schedule for this afternoon’s matches:
Arthur Ashe Stadium (from 11:30 AM local/4:30 PM BST)
(3) Jessica Pegula vs. Leylah Fernandez (31)
Yibing Wu vs. Carlos Alcaraz (2)
Night session: Venus/Serena vs. Chan/Joint, Shelton vs. Shaparov
Louis Armstrong Stadium (from 11 AM/4 PM)
(1) Aryna Sabalenka vs. Kamilla Rakhimova
(15) Alexander Bublik vs. Tommy Paul (20)
Night session: Vacharot vs. Tiafoe, Svitolina vs. Kalinskaya
Grandstand (from 11 AM/4 PM)
(11) Marta Kostyuk vs. Ekaterina Alexandrova (18)
(7) Daniil Medvedev vs. Arthur Rinderknech (26)
(26) Emma Navarro vs. Karolina Muchova (7)
(18) Jiri Lehecka vs. Stefanos Tsitsipas
Stadium 17 (from 11 AM/4 PM)
(19) Jasmine Paolini vs. Sorana Cirstea (16)
Taylor Townsend vs. Diana Shnaider (15)
(29) Ann Li vs. Linda Noskova (6)
Alex Michelsen vs. Daniel Merida
