Elena Rybakina wasted little time in booking her spot in the second round of the US Open as she breezed past wild card and home hopeful Thea Frodin in straight sets. 

Rybakina needed just one hour and 14 minutes to confirm her 6-3 6-2 win in what was her first match since suffering an ankle injury at the Cincinnati Open last month. 

The second seed, who has never gone beyond the fourth round at Flushing Meadows, will face either Darja Vidmanova or Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the second round. 

Rybakina needed just one break in the opening set to claim the early advantage, and from there she never looked likely to surrender her lead against her American opponent. 

A break of serve at the start of the second set put the writing on the wall for Frodin, and even though she showed plenty of grit and determination, it was not enough. 

Rybakina missed three opportunities to win the match against serve, but she got the job done at the fourth time of asking with a blistering ace down the centre baseline. 

8 Grand Slam hardcourt wins in a row for Elena Rybakina

She makes the perfect start at Flushing Meadows.#USOpen pic.twitter.com/kSxdE2BWmg

— wta (@WTA) September 1, 2026

Mirra Andreeva will join Rybakina in the next round after the fifth seed produced an equally dominant display against Janice Tjen, earning an impressive 6-2 6-2 victory. 

The French Open champion will take on Eva Lys in round two, while Madison Keys, a finalist at the US Open in 2017, also progressed to the next round in straight sets. 

Keys took down Alina Korneeva with a 7-5 6-4 triumph, with Anna Bondar up next after the Hungarian's 6-3 6-3 win against qualifier Lucie Havlickova.

Rybakina lays down a marker in quest to become world number one

After being forced to withdraw from her quarter-final clash with Iga Swiatek in Cincinnati just before the US Open, many believed Rybakina's hopes of becoming the world number one were over, but she has recovered in time to try and claim that honour. 

Rybakina will become the world number one if Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula or Coco Gauff do not win the title at the US Open, though if she reaches the semi-finals, she will still seal top spot regardless of all other results. 

She would become the 30th player to become world number one in the WTA rankings since its first publication in 1975, and Rybakina looked back to her best, albeit tougher tests will await her in New York. 

Only Pegula (46) has claimed more wins in WTA-level main draws this season than Rybakina (43), while she has now won her last 16 opening matches at grand slams, last losing her first such match at the US Open in 2022. 

But Keys will be out to avenge her defeat in the US Open final to Sloane Stephens nine years ago. Since 2016, Keys is one of three players, along with Elina Svitolina and Swiatek, to have claimed 10+ wins across seven seasons in major tournaments.