Men's Singles - Day 2
The second day of men's qualifying action delivered a wave of compelling contests and drama across all outer courts. Several upcoming stars impressed with composed performances - Lukas Neumayer and Benjamin Hassan both held their nerve in tight second-set tiebreaks to move into the second round. Ignacio Buse and Alibek Kachmazov, on the other hand, struggle to cope with relentless pressure and paid the price for losing early momentum. Elsewhere, Bernard Tomic looked in vintage touch, taking out Patrick Kypson in straight sets while Jual Manual Cerundolo ousted a dangerous Calvin Hemery in a similar fashion. It's clear the former Top 100 players aren't here just to make up the numbers.
What stood out most was how many of these battles were settled in deciding sets. Dalibor Svrcina edged a back-and-forth three-setter against Daniel Merida Aguilar while Giulio Zeppieri fought off an incredibly dogged Hady Habib in a dramatic 5-7 final set on Court 7. Martin Damm put together a win statement against the experienced Stefano Travaglia, giving up just five games in a ruthless experience. Even young talents like Benjamin Willwerth and Otto Virtanen were pushed deep into their matches, but Virtanen's explosive serve eventually made the difference to complete a comeback win.
Across the courts, it was also a day of exits for notable challengers. Kimmer Copejans had to dig extraordinarily deep against Alex Barrena and ultimately dragged himself over the finish line 6-3 in the third, showing classic clay court stamina on the hard courts of New York.
Women's Singles - Day 2
The women's qualifying draw began with a flurry of straight-sets victories, underlining the growing gap between the established tour contenders and those still finding their footing. Leyre Romero Gormaz opened Court 10 with a powerful 6-4, 6-4 win over rising talent Celine Naef, while Zhang Shuai made a welcome return to form by calmly dispatching Mary Stoiana 7-5,6-3. On court 17, Francesca Jones turned in one of the sharpest performances of the day in cruising past Viktoria Hruncakova. Similarly, Maja Chwalinska, Wei Sijia and, Ella Seidel produced polished performances to leave little doubt about their intent this week.
As the day progressed, the matches became tighter and emotionally charged. The dramatic three-setter between Anna-Lena Friedsam and Aoi Ito had fans glued to court 9, ending with Ito sealing a tense 6-4 in the final set after trading rhythm shifts for two hours. Harriet Dart nearly saw a commanding lead evaporate against an inspired Anca Todoni, but eventually pulled through in a 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 rollercoaster that tested her resolve. Perhaps the most thrilling comeback belonged to Olivia Gadecki, who lost the opening set to Anouk Koevermans 6-3 before storming back to take the next two sets 6-3, 6-1.
The late sessions saw a few upsets and surprise exits. Varvara Lepchenko never got going in her 6-3, 6-1 loss to Janice Tjen, while Destanee Aiava proved too aggressive for Sara Bejlek in a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 scrap. Lucrezia Stefanini booked her place with an impressive 7-6, 6-2 win over Vitalia Diatchenko, and Veronika Erjavec cut through Maria Timofeeva in straight sets.
Mixed Singles - Day 2
While qualifying continues on the outer courts, the big names kicked off proceedings inside Arthur Ashe and Louis Armstrong Stadiums in front of packed crowds. Carlos Alcaraz opened his title defense in style, overwhelming Jack Draper 6-4,6-4 with a ruthless display of baseline hitting that drew extended applause from the night crowd. World No. 1 Iga Swiatek showed similar authority against an unseeded Casper Ruud, easing to a 6-4, 6-4 win and looking every bit the favourite to lift the trophy again. Meanwhile, the crowd favourites like Emma Raducanu and Madison Keys fell early - Raducanu never finding her rhythm against a clinical Taylor Fritz, while Keys was undone by Frances Tiafoe's trademark athleticism and consistency.