NEW YORK – Iga Swiatek easily started her quest to win the US Open and Wimbledon that same year, and it took just an hour to beat Emiliana Alango 6-1, 6-2 on Tuesday.
No. 2 seed Swiatek scored points on 23 of 26 First Serves, earning a 26-5 advantage in the opening match at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Not only did she never face a breakpoint, she was also taken to Deuce by any of her eight service games.
Swiatek has now almost a week between games after losing in the Mixed Doubles Championship Match with Casper Ruud last Wednesday night. However, her rhythm has returned to the dominant start of the tournament.
“It was certainly a solid game and I’m glad I wasn’t trying to overwhelmed, but I was just solid,” Swiatek said.
The 24-year-old from Poland has continued to dominate against opponents that are not ranked in the majors this season. She was 12-0 and won 24 of the 25 sets. Alango, who made his debut with the Flushing Meadows, fell 1-3 in the slam this year.
After going for over a year without a WTA title and falling to #8 in the world in June, Swiatek found a groove. She has won 18 of her last 20 matches since the end of the French Open, winning titles to Wimbledon and Cincinnati.
Swiatek improved to 26-1 in the first round of the majors, tied with Serena Williams with the fourth-best win percentage (minimum 25 matches) in the opening match by any woman during the open era.
She won 50 tour-level matches this season. In 2025, only Carlos Alcaraz (55) and Arena Sabalenka (51) won more.
The second title of the 2022 champion at Flushing Meadows will be the first woman to win Wimbledon and the US Open in the same year since Williams in 2012.
Swiatek also has the opportunity to win the title and regain the No. 1 ranking if Sabalenka loses before the quarterfinals.
After the match, Swiatek quickly learned that Taylor Swift had been engaged to Travis Kelce, the topic that dominated his press conference.
“She posted when I was finished,” Sweet said. “Maybe that’s not a coincidence, I don’t know.”
Swiatek is a dedicated Swiftie for over a decade and knows Swift’s music and how she takes her coat while attending an ERAS tour concert shortly after winning the 2024 French Open.
“Obviously she had a lot of boyfriends, so we know everything about it, so I hope this will stick forever,” Swiatek said. “Travis looks like a great guy. She looks so happy, so I’m happy with her.”
When some reporters laughed at the number of quick questions she received, Swiatek was confused and jokingly denied the request to tackle something real tennis.
In the first round of other women’s singles results, Ukraine’s 27-seeded Marta Kostuk is a joint co-op of England’s Katie Boulter 6-4, 6-4 and Australia’s Maya past Andorra’s Victoria Zimenez Kasinzeva 6-4, 7-6 (6). Also, the straight set was Suzanne Lamens from the Netherlands, who defeated Valerie Grossman of the United States.
American Amanda Anisimova, the 8th seed, and runner-up at Wimbledon’s Sweet, defeating Kimberly Billerl 6-3, 6-2. This was Anishimova’s 11th victory in the majors this season, beating 2022 for the most in a year.
“I was playing great tennis (at Wimbledon), but there were a lot of tough games I’ve had and there were some really tough fights,” Anishimova said. “So I think it’s going to be very important just to take a particular moment here from Wimbledon.”
Beatriz Haddad Maia (18) and Ekaterina Alexandrova (13) moved to the second round among other seeded players.
Also on Tuesday, Ashlyn Kruger won a national matchup with Sofia Kenin, eliminating 26 seeds 5-7, 6-4 and 6-2. Another seed player falling into the opening round was Diana Schneider No. 20, who was exiled by Laura Sigemundo in three sets.
No. 23 Naomi osaka was seeded for the first time in the majors since the Australian Open in 2022, holding a night session at Louis Armstrong at Greet Minnen, 6-3, 6-4. Osaka defeated the break in the second set (tracking 4-3), but sealed the victory by scoring 12 of the final 14 points. She converted all six breakpoint opportunities in the match.
ESPN research and Associated Press contributed to this report.
