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24 August 2025
US Open 2025
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Dates: 24 August-7 September
Coverage: Live radio commentaries across 5 Live Sport and BBC Sounds, plus live text commentaries on the BBC Sport website & app
Aryna Sabalenka grew in power and confidence as she began her US Open title defence with victory over Rebeka Masarova in New York.
World number one Sabalenka overcame a shaky start to see off Swiss opponent Masarova 7-5 6-1.
She was watched on from her box by Max Mirnyi – a 10-time Grand Slam doubles champion brought in to act as support to coach Anton Dubrov.
Mirnyi – nicknamed ‘the Beast’ during his playing career because of his 6ft 4in height and fearless play – has been working with Sabalenka on her net skills as she bids to end the Grand Slam season on a high.
“I feel like we improved a couple things together and I’m looking forward to working more with this wonderful guy,” Sabalenka said.
“Hopefully we can finally improve my volley – maybe one day you will see me coming to the net more often but for now it’s a work in progress.
“Now you can call our team Beauty and the Beast.”
Sabalenka is aiming to become the first woman since Serena Williams in 2014 to successfully defend the singles title in New York.
She has reached at least the last four in each of the three Grand Slams so far this season, losing the finals of both the French and Australian Open.
But the three-time Grand Slam singles champion arrived at Flushing Meadows on the back of an unconvincing Cincinnati Open display, where she scraped past Emma Raducanu before losing to Elena Rybakina.
In an uneasy start, Sabalenka was broken in the fifth game of the first set by Masarova, before responding immediately to level at 3-3.
It remained on serve until Sabalenka earned a set point at 6-5 up – one which Masarova thought she had saved, only for the top seed to produce a stunning defensive return to the Swiss’s overhead smash.
It forced Masarova into a lobbed return, which Sabalenka sent crashing down the line with a roar to take the first set.
Masarova, the world number 108, was deflated from there on and held serve just once in the second set as Sabalenka raced to victory.
“I feel like I didn’t start my best in the first games, but then I found my rhythm,” Sabalenka said.
The Belarusian will face Polina Kudermetova next, the Russian advancing after opponent Nuria Parrizas-Diaz of Spain retired with injury.
Navarro, Vondrousova and Ostapenko progress
Last year’s semi-finalist Emma Navarro came through a tight first set to claim a 7-6 (11-9) 6-3 victory against China’s Wang Yafan.
The American, 24, came back from 5-3 down in the opening set and had to save three set points before eventually closing out the tie-break.
Those missed opportunities played on Wang’s mind in the second set, with 10th seed Navarro going on to set up a meeting with compatriot Caty McNally.
Elsewhere, former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova beat Russia’s Oksana Selekhmeteva 6-3 7-6 (7-3) to set up a second-round match against American McCartney Kessler.
Jelena Ostapenko will face either Taylor Townsend or Antonia Ruzic in the next round after the Latvian beat China’s Wang Xiyu 6-4 6-3.
