Apparently, the US Open isn’t trying to pace itself. In just the first round, we found a new favorite player, watched an all-time great look shockingly mortal, and witnessed the latest start time in tournament history. There’s plenty of tennis left, but the Open has already served up a little bit of everything.
The highs:Alex Eala’s bandwagon is at capacity. The 21-year-old Filipina has become one of the tournament’s hottest tickets, with scores of fans at her practices — one even brought a giant baby photo of her. So far, Eala’s lived up to the hype. She routed her first-round opponent, American qualifier Mary Stoiana 6-1, 6-2. She’ll try to keep the run alive Thursday in a must-watch match against Oleksandra Oliynykova, who beat her earlier this year. Off the court, the action has delivered, too. In news that’ll surprise no one, Naomi Osaka made the biggest fashion statement with her tribute to NBA Hall of Famer Allen Iverson (down to his signature cornrows and headband). Doubles partners Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz also got the basketball memo, with coordinating purple-and-black fits. Game recognizes game.
The lows: Tennis can be brutal — just ask Novak Djokovic. His almost-80-match streak of first-round Grand Slam wins came to a grueling end amid a health issue that he says has plagued him for several years. French player Térence Atmane had his own rough night. Cramps became so severe that he resorted to forehand serves and asked officials for medical help. They denied further treatment because tennis rules classify cramps differently from an injury. Ouch. Venus Williams, meanwhile, faced a different opponent: the clock. Her opening match against Sofia Kenin didn’t begin until 12:13 am, the latest in US Open history. “I just don’t know any other sport where you have to start that late,” Williams told reporters after the match. Hard to argue with that call.
