US Open Day One: Ruud Withdraws, Paolini Advances, Krejcikova Under Pressure
Casper Ruud, the 19th seed, has withdrawn from the 2026 US Open through injury before hitting a ball in anger. The Norwegian's departure opens up a chunk of the draw on the men's side and removes a recognisable name from the first week's storylines The Guardian.
Ruud's pullout is the kind of early-tournament disruption that reshapes a bracket. A 19th seed — the seeding that protects top players from meeting early — ordinarily expects a gentle opener and a path deep into week one. Instead, whoever slots into his place inherits that opportunity.
On Louis Armstrong Stadium, Jasmine Paolini made a clean start. She took the first set 6-3 against Veronika Erjavec, the Slovenian ranked 106 in the world who reached a career-high 84 back in May. Erjavec is the kind of qualifier who can scramble a seed's rhythm early, but Paolini, one of the tour's most reliable ball-strikers, gave her little room to settle The Guardian.
Over on Court 17, a livelier story was unfolding. Kamilla Rakhimova broke Barbora Krejcikova's serve — a break of serve means taking a game off the server, a decisive shift in momentum — to lead 4-2 in their first-round match. Krejcikova, a former French Open champion, came in with a 1-0 head-to-head record against Rakhimova, having beaten her 6-4, 6-2 in the third round of the 2021 US Open. Five years on, the Russian was making the early running The Guardian.
For Krejcikova, an early break against a player she has comfortably handled before is the sort of scoreline that can flip either way. A single break of serve in a set is a slim margin. One good return game from the Czech and the set is back on serve; one more from Rakhimova and the set is hers.
Day one of a Grand Slam is always a patchwork — big names easing through on the show courts, lesser-known players swinging freely on the outer ones, and the odd withdrawal that reshuffles the draw before anyone has found their range. Ruud's absence, Paolini's businesslike start, and Rakhimova's early surge against Krejcikova are the opening threads. By the weekend, some will have frayed and others will have tightened into something worth following.
