US Open Briefing - US Results: Taylor Fritz launches local campaign with straight-set win

First day of the US Open and several of the big American stars are already on the court, led by world No. 4 Taylor Fritz - a finalist in 2024 - who debuted in an all-American duel against his compatriot Emilio Nava, with a simple victory in straight sets.

McCartney Kessler and Emma Navarro are two other stars headlining the first day in Flushing Meadows, where the locals are looking to repeat the success of previous years. The last local champion was Coco Gauff in 2023, while in 2024 they had representatives in both finals, with Fritz and Jessica Pegula finishing as runners-up.

Taylor Fritz secured a victory without too many setbacks in the first round of the tournament, looking to repeat a great campaign in New York—and why not even improve upon it—after reaching the final in 2024. The world No. 4 is defending a good amount of points, with the risk of losing positions and no longer being the American No. 1 for the first time in a couple of years. The 28-year-old player claimed the victory in just 2 hours, defeating Emilio Nava (No. 101) 7-5, 6-2, 6-3.

In the first set, Nava showed a lot of personality, putting the favorite, Fritz, in a tough spot at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The 23-year-old was playing in the main draw of the US Open for the fourth time in his career, after receiving several wildcards between 2021 and 2023. He was the first to get a couple of break points in the first game, though he couldn't convert them. Nevertheless, he maintained good service games, keeping pace with Fritz, who had started serving.

By the fourth game, Nava had his first opportunity to break, but he couldn't convert it. Despite everything, both players held their service games without major setbacks, with the score remaining tied until 5-5. Fritz took the lead, and Nava had to serve to send it to a tie-break. However, he hesitated in the final part, and Fritz took advantage of the pressure of the moment to win the set on his first chance, 7-5.

After 52 minutes, Fritz managed to get ahead of a resistant Nava in the first set and took the lead with ease. The second set began with both players winning their first service games to love, but in the fourth game, things got complicated for Nava. A couple of break opportunities were enough for Fritz to take the first break of the set and move ahead to a comfortable 4-1. With the advantage on his side, everything became easier for the world No. 4, who a few minutes later secured the second break and took the second set 6-2 after just 29 minutes.

Fritz was in complete control of the match, and with a two-set lead, there seemed to be little hope left for Nava. The 23-year-old managed to start the third set with a couple of break opportunities but couldn't convert them. Experience was key for Fritz, who only needed one chance in the fourth game to take the lead. In a few minutes, he was ahead 4-1 and then had to survive three break points against him to stay ahead, but he maintained his service. With no major opposition from his rival, Fritz ended up closing out the victory on his first match point, 7-5, 6-2, 6-3, and secured his place in the second round of the US Open after two hours of play. His next challenge will be against the winner of the match between Sebastian Baez and Lloyd Harris (who came from the qualifiers).

Emma Navarro suffered through a tough match but managed to secure a victory against a difficult Yafan Wang, winning 7-6(11-9), 6-3. The world No. 11 is defending her strong 2024 campaign—in which she reached the semifinals—and had to fight hard to stay alive after a tight first set, where she saved three set points against her before taking the lead.

It was a rollercoaster first set that began with two breaks for each player, with neither able to settle in on their serve. It wasn't until the fifth game that Navarro was the first to hold serve, taking a 3-3 lead. Wang responded with her own serve and then secured her third break of the set in the match's longest game, in which Navarro saved five break points but it wasn't enough.

The Chinese player took a 5-3 lead and then had a set point on her serve, but she wasted it. Navarro got back in the match with a break at the most difficult moment, and soon after, everything was decided in a tie-break. Both players had their chances: Navarro wasted three set points in her favor, and Wang wasted two on her side before the American took three consecutive points to close out the set 7-6(11-9).

After a first set decided by details, Navarro gained momentum and looked more comfortable in the second part of the match. At the same time, her opponent—currently world No. 170—began to show physical discomfort that forced her to ask for a medical time-out early in the second set. The American secured an early break to go up 3-1, saving a couple of break points along the way.

From that point on, neither player was able to find her best rhythm, and they didn't create many opportunities in a match that was becoming less fluid. In fact, no more break points were played from there on, and Navarro held her lead with steady serving. Wang was serving at 3-5 with the need to stay in the match when she conceded a single opportunity to Navarro, who took it this time and closed out the victory 7-6, 6-3 to advance to the second round. Her next opponent will be local wildcard Caty McNally, who defeated Jil Teichmann convincingly in her debut (6-2, 6-2).