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Elena Rybakina and Mirra Andreeva safely booked their places in the second round of the US Open 2026 on Tuesday, but their victories came with very different storylines. While Rybakina returned from an Achilles injury scare to defeat American wildcard Thea Frodin 6-3, 6-2, French Open champion Andreeva eased past Indonesia’s Janice Tjen by the same score to continue her impressive Grand Slam form.
The two top-five seeds now move a step closer to the latter stages at Flushing Meadows, with Rybakina keeping her World No. 1 hopes alive and Andreeva chasing a second major title of the season.
Elena Rybakina Returns in Style After Injury Doubt
Second seed Elena Rybakina admitted she was unsure whether she would even be fit to compete at the US Open after suffering an Achilles injury during the Cincinnati Open, making her composed 6-3, 6-2 victory over Thea Frodin all the more satisfying.
The Kazakh had retired from her quarter-final in Cincinnati and spent seven days away from tennis as she recovered, leaving her participation in New York in serious doubt. Against 17-year-old American wildcard Frodin, however, Rybakina showed little sign of discomfort as she controlled the match from the baseline to seal her place in round two.
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
“We didn’t know if I’m going to be able to play here or not,” Rybakina said after the match. “It’s a great result after 10 days from that kind of injury.”
The 27-year-old revealed that scans had confirmed her Achilles tendon was not torn, allowing her rehabilitation to begin immediately. Even so, she said her team approached the recovery on a day-by-day basis, with limited movement and no tennis for an entire week.
Rybakina, who is also chasing the World No. 1 ranking during this tournament, said she felt good physically after the opening-round win but would continue monitoring her recovery before her next match.
She will next face either Czech Darja Vidmanova or Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.
No Hollywood Ending for Thea Frodin
The Grandstand contest had generated plenty of interest as Frodin made her Grand Slam main-draw debut five years after portraying a young Serena Williams in the Oscar-winning film King Richard.
The teenager impressed the home crowd with 11 aces and even saved three match points with booming serves late in the second set. But Rybakina responded in fitting fashion, closing out the victory with an ace of her own before applauding her young opponent during the post-match ovation.
“She played really well today and she has great shots,” Rybakina said. “I’m just happy to be here.”
Mirra Andreeva Begins Title Bid With Comfortable Victory
Fifth seed Mirra Andreeva made a confident start to her US Open campaign, defeating Indonesia’s Janice Tjen 6-2, 6-2 under the roof at Louis Armstrong Stadium to reach the second round.
The 19-year-old arrived in New York carrying heightened expectations after becoming the French Open champion earlier this year. Rather than feeling burdened by her breakthrough success, Andreeva produced a polished display built on aggressive shot-making and precise baseline hitting.
The Roland-Garros champion makes the perfect start at Flushing Meadows ✅ #USOpen pic.twitter.com/pOK9071IMq
— wta (@WTA) September 1, 2026
She broke Tjen for a 3-2 lead in the opening set before racing through the remainder of the match, needing little over an hour to complete the victory.
Andreeva Focused on Moving Beyond French Open Triumph
After the match, Andreeva revealed she has been working closely with her psychologist to avoid letting her maiden Grand Slam title define the rest of her season.
“I’m trying to think about it as just another tournament I won this year and not put labels on it,” Andreeva said. “Now it’s another tournament I want to win.”
The Russian said she is learning to balance outside expectations with her own ambitions, insisting her focus remains on maintaining the level that carried her to the Roland Garros title.
She also credited tactical improvements from her recent Cincinnati meeting with Tjen, saying she adopted a more aggressive approach to prevent the Indonesian from settling into rallies.
Andreeva will face Germany’s Eva Lys in the second round as she attempts to reach the second week of the US Open for the first time in her career.