2025 U.S. Open Tennis

[Alan Stallion]

The main singles draws begin this Sunday, August 24 for the U.S. Open tennis tournament.

The previous week saw three qualifying rounds with the winners making it into the main draw.

We also saw a controversial revision of the mixed doubles format which was played and concluded in two days.

The positives saw huge crowds to watch the mixed doubles and qualifying rounds, bringing in much revenue. Great atmosphere for a tournament that is otherwise largely ignored. Same for the qualifying matches.

The negatives were that the scoring and atmosphere made the mixed doubles more of an exhibition than a traditional tournament. Scoring was changed so you can win a set in four games instead of the traditional six. Four rounds were played featuring primarily top seeded singles players (thus making it more of a draw), but at the expense of actual doubles players. The only exception was they allowed the defending champions (who were "unseeded") to compete in the tournament.

In the end, the defending champions (Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori) defeated the makeshift teams of singles stars. The team of Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud fell in the super tie-break.

So as the main competition begins, who are you eager to watch? What match-ups are you looking forward to? Have you watched any of the lead-up tournaments? Do you have a dark-horse pick?

 

[Alan Stallion]

U.S. Women make up five of the top 10 players in the seeding and seven of the 32 seeds...

Women's seeds
1. Aryna Sabalenka
2. Iga Swiatek
3. Coco Gauff *
4. Jessica Pegula *
5. Mirra Andreeva
6. Madison Keys *
7. Jasmine Paolini
8. Amanda Anisimova *
9. Elena Rybakina
10. Emma Navarro *

11. Karolina Muchova
12. Elina Svitolina
13. Ekaterina Alexandrova
14. Clara Tauson
15. Daria Kasatkina
16. Belinda Bencic
17. Liudmila Samsonova
18. Beatriz Haddad Maia
19. Elise Mertens
20. Diana Shnaider

21. Linda Noskova
22. Victoria Mboko
23. Naomi Osaka
24. Veronika Kudermetova
25. Jelena Ostapenko
26. Sofia Kenin *
27. Marta Kostyuk
28. Magdalena Frech
29. Anna Kalinskaya
30. Dayana Yastremska
31. Leylah Fernandez
32. McCartney Kessler *

* American

 

[Alan Stallion]

U.S. Men make up 2 of the top 10 players in the seeding and 6 of the 32 seeds...

Men's seeds
1. Jannik Sinner
2. Carlos Alcaraz
3. Alexander Zverev
4. Taylor Fritz *
5. Jack Draper
6. Ben Shelton *
7. Novak Djokovic
8. Alex de Minaur
9. Karen Khachanov
10, Lorenzo Musetti

11. Holger Rune
12. Casper Ruud
13. Daniil Medvedev
14. Tommy Paul *
15. Andrey Rublev
16. Jakub Mensik
17. Frances Tiafoe *
18. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
19. Francisco Cerundolo
20. Jiri Lehecka

21. Tomas Machac
22. Ugo Humbert
23. Alexander Bublik
24. Falvio Cobolli
25. Felix Auger-Aliassime
26. Stefanos Tsitsipas
27. Denis Shapovalov
28. Alex Michelsen *
29. Tallon Griekspoor
30. Brandon Nakashima *
31. Gabriel Diallo
32. Luciano Darderi

* American

 

[Alan Stallion]

Notable Women's First Round matches:

Karolina Muchova (11) drew the legendary Venus Williams.

Clara Tauson (14) has had a great summer, faces a rising star in Alexandra Eala.

Beatriz Haddad Maia (18) faces another rising star in Sonay Kartal.

18-year old Victoria Mboko (22) has surged into the top 25 with a championship in her home country when she won Montreal, faces Barbora Krejcikova who has won two majors.

Yastremska (30) v. Pavlyuchenkova could go either way.

 

[Alan Stallion]

Notable Men's First Round matches:

Lorenzo Musetti (10) vs. Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (ranked 39)

Alexander Bublik (23) vs. Marin Cilic (champion in 2014)

 

[Alan Stallion]

Anybody checking out the action yet?

So far no big upsets.

Wins have been very routine:
12 matches played.
9 straight sets victories, one men's match just went four, one women's match went the full three, one retirement after four games.

 

[Alan Stallion]

First upset reported:
Janice Tjen of Indonesia (ranked 149) defeated 24-seeded Veronika Kudermetova.

Never heard of Tjen before.

 

[Alan Stallion]

High drama in the final match of the day between Daniil Medvedev and Benjamin Bonzi...

Benjamin Bonzi was serving for the match at match point (video link) when a photographer prematurely ran on court between first and second serve. This caused the chair umpire (Greg Allensworth) to grant Bonzi a first serve which set off Medvedev in high drama and Daniil drummed up the rowdy New York crowd (see video).

Bonzi would end up losing the third set, and was bageled in the fourth, which gave the appearance that Medvedev would avenge his first round Wimbledon loss to the withering Bonzi.

However, Bonzi hanged tight and broke in the tenth game in the final set to win the match as Medvedev showed symptoms of a hand cramp.

 

[Alan Stallion]

Clara Tauson (14) has had a great summer, faces a rising star in Alexandra Eala.

Tauson v. Eala did turn into an exciting final set conclusion.
Eala did come from behind (she was down 1-5) to pull out the upset victory in the final set tiebreak 13-11.

Moyuka Uchijima v. Olga Danilovic was a good tussle. Unfortunately for Danilovic, she had seven match points and was unable to convert any of them and lost in the final set tiebreaker to the lower-ranked Japanese player.

 

[luiza]

Watch Emma Raducanu the British number one in the Ladies Singles .
Not to win , but as an outsider .To play well and perhaps progress further than expected .

She won the title unbelievably four years ago .
And quickly disposed of her first round opponent yesterday .

She has had many injuries and is , imho , a mental "nutter". Reminds me of a female Quasar .
However , she appears injury free, has changed a great deal as a person and look to be returning to the form we saw a few years ago .

 

[Uriel80]

I am really looking forward to the match between Shapovalov and Fucsovics. It won't be a surprise if it goes the distance.

 

[Alan Stallion]

Notable Women's First Round matches:

Karolina Muchova (11) drew the legendary Venus Williams....

18-year old Victoria Mboko (22) has surged into the top 25 with a championship in her home country when she won Montreal, faces Barbora Krejcikova who has won two majors.

Yastremska (30) v. Pavlyuchenkova could go either way.

Venus was good for a set, but Muchova pulls through.

Mboko didn't quite have enough over the more experienced Krejcikova, but young Victoria will keep improving.

Pavlyuchenkova (or as Brad Gilbert calls her, Scrabbles) got the better of Yastemska.

Madison Keys was one of the biggest upset casualties on Day 2, losing to Renata Zarazua from Mexico.

Another big upset was Elina Svitolina losing to Anna Bondar.

Ugo Humbert was the biggest seeded casualty in the men's draw. American Alex Michelsen (28) also fell yesterday.

Both Petra Kvitova and Caroline Garcia finish up their professional tennis careers after their first round losses.

 

[Fiero425]

High drama in the final match of the day between Daniil Medvedev and Benjamin Bonzi...

Benjamin Bonzi was serving for the match at match point (video link) when a photographer prematurely ran on court between first and second serve. This caused the chair umpire (Greg Allensworth) to grant Bonzi a first serve which set off Medvedev in high drama and Daniil drummed up the rowdy New York crowd (see video).

Bonzi would end up losing the third set, and was bageled in the fourth, which gave the appearance that Medvedev would avenge his first round Wimbledon loss to the withering Bonzi.

However, Bonzi hanged tight and broke in the tenth game in the final set to win the match as Medvedev showed symptoms of a hand cramp.

Now the photographer's kvetchin', acting as if he's a media victim! He thinks himself a target!

 

[Alan Stallion]

I am really looking forward to the match between Shapovalov and Fucsovics. It won't be a surprise if it goes the distance.

Competitive for the first two sets. Surprised to see Fucsovics fade in the third. Do you know if he was fighting through injury?

 

[Alan Stallion]

Notable Men's First Round matches:

Lorenzo Musetti (10) vs. Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (ranked 39)

Alexander Bublik (23) vs. Marin Cilic (champion in 2014)

Musetti survives the hard-hitting GMP after losing the first set in a tiebreak.
The quirky Bublik defeats former champ Cilic in straight sets.

 

[Alan Stallion]

Beatriz Haddad Maia (18) faces another rising star in Sonay Kartal.

BHM might be my dark horse for the women's title. Always a dangerous opponent.

 

[Alan Stallion]

My Key Day 4 second-round matchups:

Women's
Azarenka v. Pavlyuchenkova
Bucsa v. Eala
Kessler v. Vondrousova

Men's
Bellucci v. Alcaraz
Shelton v. Carreno Busta

 

[Alan Stallion]

Haven't had time to go through today's matches yet, but a couple of quick notes...

Jack Draper withdrew today due to injury, allowing Zizou Bergs a walkover into the third round.

Jelena Ostapenko reportedly made some rude and unprofessional comments to Taylor Townsend after Ostapenko's loss to Townsend.

 

[Alan Stallion]

My Key Day 4 second-round matchups:

Women's
Azarenka v. Pavlyuchenkova
Bucsa v. Eala
Kessler v. Vondrousova

Men's
Bellucci v. Alcaraz
Shelton v. Carreno Busta

Hard to see a men's final other than Alcarez v. Sinner.
Ben Shelton looks like a likely QF opponent for Alcaraz at this time.

Azarenka won the battle of the mid-30s veterans.
The quiet but effective Bucsa took care of the youngster Eala.
Vondrousova took care of Kessler (who was seeded for the first time at the US Open)

It wasn't a good day to be a seeded player and play a five-setter...

Collignon came back to rudely upset (12) Ruud
Struff had the right stuff over (11) Rune
Blanchet upset (16) Mensik
Rinderknech rendered a loss for (18) Davidovich Fokina
and Kym knocked off (30) Nakashima

 

[mikegriffith1]

I'm surprised that Jannik Sinner is playing in the U.S. Open, so soon after he suffered an injury in the Cincinnati Open. I'd like to see Ben Shelton win the U.S. Open. But, I'd be fine if Sinner or Alcaraz won it instead.