US Open 2026 Day 2 arrives after one of the tournament’s biggest shocks in years. Novak Djokovic suffered his first-ever first-round exit at Flushing Meadows on Sunday, and Monday’s schedule now shifts attention to defending champions. Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz both playing their first matches of the fortnight.
Mariano Navone stunned four-time champion Djokovic 7-6(5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 in five sets. The defeat ended a run that had seen Djokovic go 19-0 in first-round matches at the US Open. It marked the first time in his career he had lost an opening match at any Grand Slam since the 2006 Australian Open. Djokovic himself was matter-of-fact afterward, saying only that it was a good record but one he wasn’t dwelling on.
The schedule on Monday of the US Open sets its focus on the defending champions. Aryna Sabalenka, the defending champion in women’s singles and the top seed, takes on Maria Camila Osorio. It should be noted that Sabalenka hopes to become the first player after Serena Williams to win three consecutive US Open singles titles. The player enters the competition in high spirits, with a good performance during the year. She will defend her title against Maria Camila Osorio, starting the tournament with high expectations.
It should be noted that in the men’s singles the defending champion Carlos Alcaraz plays his first match against Roman Safiullin on Arthur Ashe Stadium. The match is especially significant in that it sees Alcaraz playing in Grand Slam competition after an injury. Namely, a right wrist injury kept him from playing several big competitions in the beginning of the season.
Alcaraz enters as the No. 2 seed and defending champion despite more than four months away from competitive tennis. His comeback has quickly become one of the tournament’s biggest storylines, alongside Djokovic’s shock exit. Fans and analysts alike watching closely for signs of rust or, conversely, a seamless return to major-winning form.
This section will be updated with confirmed Day 2 results as Sabalenka, Alcaraz, and the rest of Monday’s field complete their matches.
With Sinner already out and Djokovic now eliminated, the men’s draw has been reshaped dramatically just one day in. Zverev remains the top seed and hasn’t yet played, with his own opener against Lorenzo Sonego scheduled for Tuesday, September 1. Sabalenka, Rybakina, Pegula, and Gauff remain the four players positioned to leave New York as the new world No. 1 in the women’s draw.
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The US Open 2026 first round continues through the next two days, with the remaining men’s and women’s singles matches completing the opening stage of the tournament. Once the first round concludes, the competition will move through the second round, third round, Round of 16, quarterfinals and semifinals. The action steadily narrows the field toward championship weekend. The women’s singles final is scheduled for Saturday, September 12, when the final two contenders will battle for the title at Flushing Meadows. One day later, the men’s singles final takes place Sunday, September 13, bringing the tournament to a conclusion and crowning the 2026 US Open champion.
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