Michael Zheng has achieved a significant milestone in his tennis career by transitioning from collegiate success to securing his first Grand Slam win at the US Open main draw. The 22-year-old American, who received a wildcard entry, triumphed over Fabian Marozsan with a scoreline of 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 in the tournament’s opening round. Zheng, a standout player from Columbia University with two NCAA singles titles to his name, delivered a commanding performance, breaking Marozsan’s serve five times and winning 92% of his first-serve points, wrapping up the match in just under two hours.
Growing up in New Jersey, Zheng frequented the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center for training sessions, making his victory particularly poignant. This win propels him into the top 100 of the world rankings for the first time. Zheng’s rise in the tennis world has been swift; earlier this year, he qualified for the Australian Open and recorded his first tour-level victory. He also advanced to the third round at Wimbledon. In the next round of the US Open, he is set to compete against Yunchaokete Bu from China.
Meanwhile, fellow American Ben Shelton also advanced in the tournament following a hard-fought victory over Hubert Hurkacz. The eighth seed emerged victorious 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (3), 7-5 in a match that lasted nearly three hours, marking his fourth consecutive year reaching at least the third round in New York. Frances Tiafoe continued his strong US Open form by defeating Japanese qualifier Rei Sakamoto 6-3, 7-6 (2), 7-5, advancing to the third round for the seventh year in a row.
In the women’s competition, third seed Jessica Pegula dispatched former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin with a decisive 6-3, 6-1 victory, completing the match in just 56 minutes. Pegula is set to face Canada’s Leylah Fernandez in the next round. Elsewhere, Taylor Townsend cruised to victory over Australia’s Taylah Preston, winning 6-1, 6-1, while Emma Navarro, Iva Jovic, and Alex Michelsen also progressed in their respective matches.
However, the day wasn’t without setbacks for some American players. Former US Open champion Sloane Stephens was eliminated by Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk, and wildcard entry Sebastian Gorzny fell to 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev. Despite these losses, the American contingent had a promising day overall at Flushing Meadows, with Zheng’s breakthrough into the top 100 and Shelton and Tiafoe’s continued success highlighting a strong performance.