Defending champion Raducanu immediately stranded at US Open, Nadal continues | NOW

Defending champion Emma Raducanu was immediately eliminated from the US Open in the night from Tuesday to Wednesday (Dutch time). Naomi Osaka also stranded in the first round. Rafael Nadal made it to the second round in the men’s tournament.

Nineteen-year-old Raducanu was no match for Alizé Cornet, the number forty in the world from France, at Flushing Meadows. It became 6-3 and 6-3. It is only the third time that the defending champion directly stranded at the US Open.

Raducanu caused a big surprise last year by winning the US Open at the age of eighteen. The British could not continue that line for the time being. This year she was eliminated in the second round at the Australian Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

The US Open is also over for Osaka. The US Open winner of 2018 and 2020 was no match for home player Danielle Collins in New York, who beat her with 7-6 (5) and 6-3.

Osaka, who also won the Australian Open twice, has not been able to live up to Grand Slam tournaments for some time, partly due to physical and mental problems. She missed Roland Garros and Wimbledon this year.

Victoria Azarenka, a three-time losing US Open finalist, did reach the second round. The Belarusian needed three sets to get rid of Ashley Krueger: 6-1, 4-6 and 6-2.

The US Open is also over for Naomi Osaka.

Nadal gives up one set

In the men’s tournament, Nadal survived the opening round without too many problems, although the 22-time Grand Slam winner did have a difficult start by giving up one set against Rinky Hijikata from Australia. It was 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 and 6-3.

Nadal did not come to the US Open in top shape. The 36-year-old Spaniard suffered a tear in his abdominal muscle at Wimbledon in July and carefully recovered from it. He recently called his participation in the US Open a risk.

“I’m very happy to be back. It’s been a long time since I played here. I thought I might never come back,” said Nadal after his win over Hijikata. He last won the US Open in 2019.

In the battle for a place in the third round, Nadal faces the experienced Italian Fabio Fognini, who was too strong for the Russian Aslan Karatsev in the first round in a five-setter.

Diego Schwartzman also continued from the top twenty in the world. The Argentinian (ATP-16) lost the first two sets to American Jack Sock, but saw his American opponent give up at a score of 3-6, 5-7, 6-0 and 1-0.

Rafael Nadal won despite a difficult start from Rinky Hijikata.