US Open 2024, Day 1: Matches to watch on Day 1, August 26, at Flushing Meadows

Aug. 26, 2024, 8:20 a.m.

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The US Open begins today (August 27) at Flushing Meadows, featuring defending champions Novak Djokovic and Coco Gauff, alongside former winners Dominic Thiem and Sloane Stephens.

Djokovic aims to become the first male player to successfully defend his US Open crown since Roger Federer's remarkable five-year streak from 2004 to 2008.

It’s the last chance for the 37-year-old, who won the gold medal at the Paris Olympics, to avoid a Grand Slam shut-out this season, after Jannik Sinner won the Australian Open and Carlos Alcaraz bagged both the French Open and Wimbledon titles.

Advertisement Coco Gauff, the reigning women's champion, is seeking to regain her winning form after experiencing a slump in recent matches. Last year, she captured her first Grand Slam title at the US Open.

What to watch on Day 1 (Monday, August 26) of the US Open:

Radu Albot (MDA) vs Novak Djokovic (SRB)

Novak Djokovic, the reigning US Open champion, is set to defend his title in the 2024 tournament. The Serbian star, fresh off a triumphant Olympic gold medal win, is expected to comfortably navigate his opening round match against qualifier Albot.

The Moldovan player, currently ranked 138th globally, has yet to secure a victory against any of the top 10 players.

However, Djokovic will need to make some adjustments as he finishes the first night session on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

This match marks his initial hard court appearance since a shocking defeat to Luca Nardi in the third round of the Indian Wells tournament in March.

Varvara Gracheva (FRA) vs Coco Gauff (USA)

Coco Gauff raises the US Open championship trophy after defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the final. AP World number three Gauff, whose performance has been inconsistent since she won her first Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows last year, will be hoping history repeats itself when she takes on Russian-born French player Varvara Gracheva in the afternoon on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Their only previous encounter came in the quarter-finals at Auckland in January, Gauff securing a commanding 6-1, 6-1 victory and going on to claim the title — so far her only one of 2024.

Advertisement Gauff has lost three of her last six matches, her second-round exit in her Cincinnati title defense dropping her to third in the world.

The 20-year-old American tried to put a positive spin on that, calling her Cincinnati defeat “a blessing in disguise … because I was able to actually train, which I hadn’t been able to.

“I do my best results when I come off a training block,” Gauff said. “I’m having great practices, which doesn’t mean I’m going to go out in the match and play great, but it does give you more confidence when you’re actually practicing great the week before a tournament.”

Advertisement Zheng Qinwen (CHN) vs Amanda Anisimova (USA)

Zheng Qinwen bites her gold medal after winning the women’s singles tennis final at the 2024 Paris Olympics. AP Newly minted Olympic gold medallist Zheng will likely find herself in hostile territory on Louis Armstrong Stadium when she takes on US wildcard Amanda Anisimova in the first career meeting between the two.

Having given China a first Olympic tennis gold, Zheng will try again to emulate pioneering compatriot Li Na in claiming a Grand Slam crown – having come up short in the Australian Open final in January.

Anisimova has been making a comeback in 2024 after taking a break from professional tennis in 2023 to prioritize her mental health. Her performance in Toronto, where she reached her first WTA 1000 final two weeks ago, has propelled her back into the top 50 of the world rankings.

Advertisement Ben Shelton (USA) vs Dominic Thiem (AUT)

Dominic Thiem has not won a tournament since his only Grand Slam success at the 2020 US Open. Reuters/USA Today Sports Thiem played Shelton in the second round of the US Open last year. The former champion vomited before walking on court and looked uncomfortable on it. He retired after losing the first set in a tiebreaker. They will meet again in what could be Thiem’s last Grand Slam match.

Thiem holds a 2-7 record in 2024, ranking 209th. Earlier this year, he announced his intention to retire at the end of the season. Following his sole Grand Slam triumph at the US Open in 2020, Thiem has faced a prolonged decline, attributed to burnout and a wrist injury. Once considered a successor to the Big Three, he will depart the tour at the age of 31.

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