Australia’s Daria Kasatkina, now representing the country, recovered from a shaky start to beat Elena-Gabriela Ruse 7-5 6-1 and set up a second-round clash with Kamilla Rakhimova. The 15th seed dropped her opening two service games and faced another break before edging the first set, then found her rhythm in the second to close out the win in 1 hour 18 minutes.
Kasatkina’s early stumble came after she switched allegiance from Russia to Australia in March, a transition she acknowledged has brought personal and professional adjustments. “We’re tennis players but there’s always stuff going on outside the court,” she said. “I’ve had a lot of changes in the past year, which wasn’t easy to manage. I hope it’s going to be a bit calmer.”
In a landmark moment for another Australian, Priscilla Hon finally broke through at the US Open with a 6-3 7-5 victory over French qualifier Leolia Jeanjean. The Brisbane-born qualifier, six years after her first appearance at Flushing Meadows, celebrated what she described as her favourite slam beyond the Australian Open. Hon now prepares to tackle 17th seed Liudmila Samsonova in the second round, aiming to build on the breakthrough that will push her career-high ranking higher.
Adam Walton, also from Brisbane, delivered the biggest win of his career by defeating 22nd seed Ugo Humbert 6-4 7-6 (7-4) 5-7 6-1. The victory will lift him to at least No. 74 in the world and follows a stunning upset of former world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev in Cincinnati. Walton reflected on his season and confidence on the hard courts, saying, “I’ve had a great American summer… I’m just glad I’ve been able to capitalise on some good matches and some good wins.”
Hon and Walton are both poised for strong financial gains, with a minimum US$154,000 in prize money already secured for their US Open campaigns. Walton will face Coleman Wong, the world No. 176 from Hong Kong, in a bid to reach the third round for the first time at a major.
Other Australian results on day two included Jordan Thompson advancing, while Aleksandar Vukic, James Duckworth and wildcard Talia Gibson exited. Vukic endured a long five-set marathon in a loss to American Jenson Brooksby, and Duckworth fell to US wildcard Tristan Boyer. Gibson was defeated by Magdalena Frech.
Big-name Australian men, Alex de Minaur and Alexi Popyrin, are set to begin their campaigns in the coming day, adding extra anticipation to the country’s hopes in New York.
What this means for Australian tennis: Kasatkina’s steadying performance signals a smooth transition period as she settles into representing Australia, while Hon’s hard-won breakthrough confirms the potential depth of Australian female tennis on the big stage. Walton’s rising form, including a high-profile win over Medvedev earlier in the summer, suggests he could be a contender in the late rounds if he maintains his momentum.
Summary: The second day of the US Open delivered a mix of breakthrough moments for Australia—Kasatkina overcoming a rocky start to advance, Hon recording a landmark win and Walton continuing his impressive summer—along with the usual hard-earned lessons from the round of 64. The trio’s early success bodes well for Australian tennis as the tournament progresses.
Optional takeaway: Expect more inspirational performances from the Australian camp as the players navigate pressure, adjust to the demands of the majors, and push toward potential deep runs in both the men’s and women’s draws. Positive outlook ahead for the young Australian talents as the season moves forward.