Iga Swiatek began her quest for a second US Open title in dominant fashion, recording a straight-sets win over Xiyu Wang in one hour and 27 minutes. 

Swiatek, who lifted the crown at Flushing Meadows in 2022 against Ons Jabeur, earned a 6-2 6-3 victory to tee up a clash with Nadia Podoroska in the second round. 

The eighth seed laid the foundations for her triumph with an impressive first-set display, breaking Wang in the fourth game before surging into a 4-1 lead. 

Swiatek missed three break points to pull even further clear, but the damage had already been done as she reeled off consecutive games to go within one set of progressing. 

But Swiatek struggled to carve out break opportunities early in the second set, trading blows with Wang, who was looking to take the match to a decider. 

However, Swiatek's quality and experience eventually told. She won the final three games in a row, sealing her spot in the next round at the first time of asking on serve.

"I don't treat these matches like they should be easy. I don't take them for granted," Swiatek said of her victory. 

"I'm always ready from the beginning [of the tournament] to put forward the intensity, and I'm ready with the level."

Onward and upward @iga_swiatek soars into round 2 after taking Wang in straights 6-2, 6-3.#USOpen pic.twitter.com/yHpK6hoD08

— wta (@WTA) September 1, 2026

Another previous US Open champion in Naomi Osaka will join Swiatek in the second round after she battled past Anastasia Zakharova in straight sets. 

Osaka won the tournament in 2018 and 2020, and started her latest grand slam title charge with a 7-6 (8-6) 7-6 (7-3) win, with Katerina Siniakova her next opponent. 

Swiatek starts with a bang as Osaka registers another major win

Swiatek has not won a grand slam title since winning Wimbledon in 2025, but she delivered a statement victory at a tournament she has often thrived at during her career. 

From her first appearance at the US Open in 2019 until the 2026 edition, Swiatek is the first player to record 28+ consecutive opening match wins at grand slam events since Serena Williams (31, RG 2012-WM 2021).

It was also her 25th career win at Flushing Meadows in what was her 31st appearance at the tournament. Only Serena Williams, Venus Williams (28 each) and Kim Clijsters (30) have reached that many victories in fewer matches at the US Open. 

Osaka, meanwhile, recorded her 10th win at a grand slam in 2026, improving her record to 10-2 for the season. It is the first time she has won 10 major matches in a campaign since claiming 12 in 2019, a season where she won the Australian Open. 

The 13th seed also claimed her 79th grand slam match victory. Only Li Na (90) and Ai Sugiyama (84) have managed more among Asian players at major tournaments.