Lois Boisson's Frustration at US Open as Sabalenka Dominates

The first real roar of this US Open did not come from a winner or a match point, but from the crack of graphite on hard court.

Lois Boisson, once a rising force in the women’s game, walked off Louis Armstrong Stadium with another first-round exit and a shattered racquet — literally — as Emma Navarro survived a three-set scrap to move on.

Boisson boils over as Navarro holds firm

For Boisson, this was supposed to be another step in the long climb back. A French Open semifinalist in 2025, a WTA title winner, a player who had pushed into the top 40 despite a brutal run of injuries and months off tour. Instead, the 23-year-old left with her third straight first-round defeat at a major and a very public display of frustration.

Navarro, the 26th seed, edged a tense contest 7-6(6), 6-7(1), 6-3, grinding through the kind of match Boisson used to own when her confidence matched her shot-making.

The Frenchwoman, whose ranking peaked at No. 34 in February despite not playing between September 2025 and April, has since plummeted to 237. Early exits have piled up. So have the doubts.

They all seemed to spill out on one misjudged backhand slice.

Serving to stay alive, Boisson floated a tentative slice that died halfway up the net. Navarro took the point, the game, the match. Boisson took her racquet and spiked it into the court.

The handshake at the net came and went. Navarro turned to salute the crowd. Behind her, Boisson reached into her bag, pulled out a second racquet and obliterated it — three full-blooded slams into the blue surface, then one last angry fling.

It was raw, unfiltered, and it told the story of a year that has refused to turn.

Navarro, by contrast, walked away with composure and a place in the second round, where she will face either fellow American Caty McNally or Dutch qualifier Anouk Koevermans. For Boisson, the task is simpler but heavier: find a way to stop this spiral before the season runs away from her completely.

Sabalenka sends a message in title defence

On Arthur Ashe Stadium, there was no such drama. Just Aryna Sabalenka doing what a world No. 1 and two-time defending champion is supposed to do in New York.

She dismantled Camila Osorio 6-2, 6-4, striking 32 winners and never truly loosening her grip on the match. After a stretch of months in which she has failed to reach a final since March, this was the kind of authoritative start she badly needed.

Sabalenka stepped in on returns, bullied rallies, and closed both sets with the certainty of a player who knows this court as well as anyone in the women’s game.

"I'm happy with my performance. She's a tough opponent, makes you work really hard to get every point," Sabalenka said on court. "So I'm happy that I was able to close the match in straight sets."

Next up for her is Russian Polina Iatcenko, a very different test but one Sabalenka will expect to pass if she is serious about a third straight US Open crown.

Men’s draw rocked again as Fils falls

If Novak Djokovic’s shock first-round exit blew a hole in the men’s draw, Arthur Fils’ departure widened it.

The 10th seed and Cincinnati champion arrived in New York with momentum and expectations. Stefanos Tsitsipas ripped both away, recovering from a set down to win 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-1, 6-4 in the day’s early match on Louis Armstrong.

Once Tsitsipas snatched the second-set tiebreak, the match turned sharply. His forehand began to dictate, his serve steadied, and Fils’ resistance thinned. The third set raced by, the fourth followed, and another seeded name slid out of a suddenly wide-open section of the draw.

Tsitsipas now faces South African Lloyd Harris in the second round, with the path ahead looking far less crowded than it did 48 hours ago.

Rain delays, but contenders move

The tournament’s expanded 15-day format and three-day first round were tested early, as rain halted seven matches on the outside courts on Sunday night. Those contests resumed on Monday, giving the schedule a stop-start feel but suiting those who handled the disruption best.

On the Grandstand, Wimbledon runner-up Karolina Muchova wasted no time. The Czech seventh seed brushed aside Sinja Kraus 6-3, 6-0, her clean ball-striking and variety far too much for the Austrian. Katie Boulter awaits in round two, a step up in power and presence.

Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen took the longer route. Forced into qualifying just two years after reaching the quarterfinals here, she dropped the first set to Kristina Liutova before roaring back 4-6, 6-3, 6-1. Once Zheng found her range, the match became a procession, her heavy groundstrokes pinning Liutova behind the baseline.

Her path this fortnight may be unconventional, but the intent is obvious: she is not here to make up the numbers.

Anisimova celebrates birthday with ruthless win

On Louis Armstrong later in the day, Amanda Anisimova turned her 25th birthday into a statement.

Last year’s US Open runner-up dismissed Ashlyn Krueger 6-1, 6-3, controlling the all-American clash from the moment she survived three early break points to hold for 2-1 in the first set. That game flipped the tone. From there, Anisimova surged, reeling off the opener and never really looking back.

The second set brought a brief exchange of breaks, but Anisimova’s grip never loosened. She broke in the final game, sealed the match in just 72 minutes, and then stood as the crowd serenaded her with “Happy Birthday”.

"Ashlyn's a great player so I knew it was going to be a tough match," she said afterwards, but her performance suggested a player intent on another deep run rather than a gentle anniversary of last year’s success.

Anisimova now faces Austrian Lilli Tagger in the second round, a tie she will enter as the clear favourite.

From Boisson’s shattered racquet to Sabalenka’s statement win and another shock on the men’s side, this US Open has found its edge early. The question now is who can ride that chaos, not be consumed by it.