US Open 2026 Day One Recap

The 2026 US Open acquired underway on Sunday, and we didn’t have to attend lengthy for the primary massive upset as Novak Djokovic one way or the other managed to lose to Mariano Navone in 5 units.

It was an odd match. Djokovic seemed bodily shot for big elements of it, but nonetheless discovered himself two units to at least one and a break up earlier than his physique fully gave approach. Navone deserves loads of credit score for sticking round and getting the job achieved, however for Djokovic, it raises but extra questions on the place his sport and, extra importantly, his bodily situation are heading.

Elsewhere, Daniil Medvedev determined tennis remains to be preferable to pickleball as he made gentle work of Hugo Gaston, whereas Tommy Paul recovered from a sluggish begin to transfer via in 4.

There have been additionally a few good five-set scraps, with Jaume Munar coming from two units all the way down to beat Terence Atmane and Dino Prizmic surviving after blowing a 5-2 lead within the fourth towards Alexander Shevchenko.

Earlier than play acquired totally underway, the draw additionally misplaced 2022 finalist Casper Ruud and 2014 champion Marin Cilic to harm, with Arthur Gea and Otto Virtanen taking their locations as fortunate losers.

Right here’s a take a look at all of the Day 1 outcomes and its key matches.

Day One US Open 2026 Spherical of 128 Outcomes

Winner
Loser
Rating

Daniil Medvedev [7]
Hugo Gaston
6-4, 6-2, 6-4

Jaume Munar
Terence Atmane
6-7(3), 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(4), 7-5

Arthur Rinderknech [26]
Sho Shimabukuro
6-7(2), 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-2

Kamil Majchrzak
Hamad Medjedovic
6-3, 6-3, 6-3

Tommy Paul [20]
Coleman Wong
6-7(1), 6-3, 6-3, 6-3

Jiri Lehecka [18]
Pablo Carreno Busta
6-1, 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-2

Denis Shapovalov
Miomir Kecmanovic
6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1

Luca Van Assche
Cameron Norrie [29]
6-7(6), 6-2, 6-2, 6-3

Toby Samuel
Tomas Machac
6-2, 6-3, 6-2

Lloyd Harris
Jack Kennedy
6-4, 6-2, 6-2

Dino Prizmic
Alexander Shevchenko
2-6, 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 7-5

Tomas Martin Etcheverry [27]
Vit Kopriva
6-3, 6-4, 6-0

Daniel Merida
Marton Fucsovics
6-4, 6-4, 6-2

Yibing Wu
Adam Walton
7-6(2), 6-2, 7-5

Jaime Faria
Jenson Brooksby
6-3, 7-6(4), 4-6, 1-6, 6-2

Mariano Navone
Novak Djokovic [4]
7-6(5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1

Key Match Recap

Mariano Navone def. Novak Djokovic 7-6(5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1

The largest results of Day 1 got here on Arthur Ashe Stadium, the place Mariano Navone ousted fourth seed Novak Djokovic in 5 units.

Djokovic had not misplaced within the opening spherical of a Grand Slam for the reason that 2006 Australian Open, and regardless of trying bodily drained for a lot of the match, he nonetheless led by two units to at least one and a break within the fourth.

From there, nonetheless, his situation dropped off a cliff. The 39-year-old struggled along with his motion, vomited a number of occasions and later stated his physique had began to break down with cramping and ache.

Navone dealt with the state of affairs nicely and stored making Djokovic play slightly than getting distracted by what was occurring throughout the online. The Argentine created 17 break-point possibilities, transformed six and made simply 34 unforced errors in contrast with Djokovic’s 70.

As soon as Navone levelled the match, the deciding set was just about plain crusing. Djokovic briefly threatened to rally with the group behind him, however there was little left bodily, and Navone closed out the most important win of his profession after 4 hours and 36 minutes.

It’s a poor loss for Nole, as Navone isn’t somebody with a hard-court pedigree. I wasn’t precisely bullish on Nole’s possibilities after what he’s served up just lately, however I’m unsure the place he goes from right here, and he must attempt to remedy no matter causes his vitality ranges to vanish.

Daniil Medvedev def. Hugo Gaston 6-4, 6-2, 6-4

Daniil Medvedev determined to stay with tennis slightly than a pickleball swap, and he prevented a repeat of final 12 months’s first-round catastrophe with a managed straight-sets win over qualifier Hugo Gaston.

Gaston is one other difficult kind of Frenchman, and he tried to disrupt Medvedev with adjustments of tempo, internet approaches and even an underarm serve, however the seventh seed not often seemed uncomfortable as soon as he had settled into the match.

Medvedev served significantly nicely, successful 83% of his first-serve factors, hitting ten aces and going through just one break level.

Given his poor run of outcomes coming into New York, it’s precisely the kind of simple opening-round efficiency he wanted.

Tommy Paul def. Coleman Wong 6-7(1), 6-3, 6-3, 6-3

Tommy Paul needed to recuperate from a sluggish opening set earlier than seeing off qualifier Coleman Wong in 4.

Wong took the first-set tiebreak, however Paul rapidly raised his stage and have become more and more dominant from the baseline because the match progressed.

The American gained every of the following three units with out being severely threatened and moved into the second spherical, the place he’ll face Dino Prizmic.

Dino Prizmic def. Alexander Shevchenko 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 7-5

Dino Prizmic produced top-of-the-line escapes of the opening day, saving two match factors earlier than defeating Alexander Shevchenko in 5 units.

After dropping the opening set, Prizmic gained the following two and led 5-2 within the fourth set, however then misplaced 7 straight video games.

Shevchenko went on to serve for the match at 5-4, however couldn’t convert two match factors as Prizmic reeled off three consecutive video games to steal the victory.

It was Prizmic’s first main-draw win on the US Open and units up a second-round assembly with Tommy Paul.

Luca Van Assche def. Cameron Norrie 6-7(6), 6-2, 6-2, 6-3

Cameron Norrie turned one of many first seeded casualties of the event as Luca Van Assche got here from a set all the way down to win in 4.

I had Norrie coming via moderately comfortably, however after he edged a decent opening-set tiebreak, Van Assche took management instantly and was clearly the higher participant for the remainder of the match.

The Frenchman dropped simply seven video games throughout the ultimate three units and recorded his first win over Norrie in 4 conferences. He’ll face Denis Shapovalov within the second spherical.

Jaume Munar def. Terence Atmane 6-7(3), 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(4), 7-5

Jaume Munar produced one in all Day 1’s greatest comebacks after recovering from two units down towards Terence Atmane.

Atmane seemed firmly in management after taking the primary two units, however he began with some kind of hand cramps, even serving left-handed, which allowed Munar to race via the third after which edge an important fourth-set tiebreak.

The deciding set was a lot tighter, as we’ve seen Atmane recuperate from cramps earlier than, however Munar finally broke via late to finish the comeback 7-5 and ebook his place within the second spherical.

Toby Samuel def. Tomas Machac 6-2, 6-3, 6-2

One of many extra shocking scorelines of the day got here from Toby Samuel, who swept apart Tomas Machac in straight units.

Samuel by no means let Machac settle and dropped solely seven video games, successful 6-2, 6-3, 6-2. Machac has solely performed twice for the reason that French Open, dropping each matches, however given his expertise at tour stage, I assumed he’d come via.

Highlights

US Open 2026 Day 2 Spherical of 128 Matches