The fans flocked to see Serena Williams' 2022 US Open debut, and she delivered.
Giving the New York crowd something to get on their feet for on Monday night, the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion was a winner under the lights in Arthur Ashe Stadium. But Williams' triumphant debut—the first match of what's expected to be her career's swansong—wasn't all that went on around the grounds of the first day of America's Grand Slam.
Here's our look at the top stories from Day 1 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
Serena stays perfect in US Open first rounds: She's not done yet, so this "last dance" was literal.
After a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Danka Kovinic in front of a sellout crowd in Ashe—a nighttime gathering of 29,402, in fact, a new US Open record—Williams did a little dance. It was a fitting reaction for what was her 19th straight-sets win in 21 career first-round matches at the US Open.
Williams hadn't lost a set in Round 1 at the Open in 20 years, and was only briefly under threat of that happening again against the world No. 80, who led by a break at 3-2 in the first set.
In a career that's been full of memorable nights, Williams said there'd never before been one quite like this.
"When I walked out, the reception was really overwhelming. It was loud and I could feel it in my chest. It was a really good feeling," Williams said after the match. "It's a feeling I'll never forget, so ... that meant a lot to me.
"It was so loud. I just was overwhelmed in a good way. But at the same time it's like you have to be focused, you have to be laser focused. That's what I needed to do and that's what I tried to do."
Williams earns a Round 2 date with No. 2 seed Anett Kontaveit of Estonia, who cruised through her opening match with the loss of just three games.
Galan, Snigur shock Tsitsipas, Halep: Two qualifiers sent shockwaves through their respective draws with wins over Top 10 seeds.
In the day session, Ukraine's Daria Snigur knocked out No. 7 seed and former No. 1 Simona Halep in three sets, 6-2, 0-6, 6-4, in a match that was not only her US Open debut, but her tour-level debut.
The 20-year-old, a former Wimbledon junior champion, was emotional in victory inside Louis Armstrong Stadium: She dedicated her win to the people of her homeland, who've been on the minds and hearts of many at this US Open. Snigur participated in last week's Tennis Plays for Peace exhibition during US Open Fan Week which raised more than $1 million for humanitarian relief efforts in Ukraine.
“I’m very happy,” she said, on the verge of tears. “I’m very, very, very nervous,” she continued. “But I tried to do my best.”
Under the lights, no one would have scripted Daniel Elahi Galan's US Open debut quite like this.
Facing fourth seed Tsitsipas, the world No. 94 rode a blistering start to a shock 6-0, 5-0 lead. But that was just the start of the story, as Tsitsipas got off the canvas to take charge of set three and the start of set four before his comeback fell short.
Galan's 6-0, 6-1, 3-6, 7-5 victory was only secured on his ninth match point as the two men combined to give the Armstrong crowd a thrilling final act.
“Definitely one of the best moments of my career,” Galan said. “Definitely the best match of my career, not only because of the circumstances, also the opponent. I’m really happy.”
Tsitsipas' early exit continues an unwelcome theme for the 24-year-old in New York. Now 5-5 lifetime at the US Open, he has not been beyond the third round.
Holt's dream takes shape in Fritz stunner: At this time last year, American Brandon Holt wasn't sure if he's play tennis again. Look at him now: After winning three matches last week in qualifying, the son of two-time US Open champion Tracy Ausin scored the biggest win of his life.
In four sets, Holt was a 6-7(3), 7-6(1), 6-4, 6-3 winner over No. 10 seed Taylor Fritz.
Holt showed grit in his tour-level debut after surrendering a double-break lead at 5-2 in the opening set. But he dominated the second-set breaker, capping it off with a forehand winner, and was able to capitalize on fast starts in sets three and four.
“I'm very happy that it ended up going my way because I could have definitely been losing in that fourth set, starting a fifth set if a few points would have gone a different way,” Holt said. “I think Taylor elevated his game a lot. He started playing really well. I was playing really well, as well. It was a really fun match for me... I'm very, very pleased to get out of it.”
Gauff earns first win in Ashe: Coco Gauff's done so much in her young career to date that it's easy to forget that she's still just 18. That fact was never more evident on Monday at the US Open, when she walked into Arthur Ashe Stadium looking to win her first match on the Open's main stage.
Gauff, previously 0-2 in her career in Ashe, was a 6-3, 6-2 winner over French qualifier Leolia Jeanjean.
"I was definitely nervous. I literally told myself last night—last night or this morning, I said, 'You know what, I'm just going to go out there and have fun, enjoy the moment, who cares if I win on Ashe or not. I'm sure there is going to be other opportunities,'" Gauff said after the match.
"But it is nice to break the barrier. I really didn't think about it until after the match was over and then I walked out into the crowd and said, 'Wait, I haven't done this before.'"
Up next, Gauff faces Elena Gabriela Ruse. They'll play at a Grand Slam for the second time this year; at Wimbledon, Gauff was a three-set victor in Round 1 after Ruse served for the match.
Ten years after Open title, Murray's still kicking: With his triumph at the 2012 US Open, Andy Murray became the first British man to win any of tennis' four Grand Slams since Fred Perry in 1936. A decade later, Murray's still taking names in New York.
The 35-year-old Scot knocked off No. 24 seed Francisco Cerundolo inside Louis Armstrong Stadium, claiming a 7-5, 6-3, 6-3 result for his first straight-sets win at the US Open in six years. Murray recovered from losing a 5-2 lead in the opening set to triumph in straights.
"It was very tricky conditions today," Murray said in his on-court interview. "I am very happy with the way I got through that one, it was not easy. He has had a brilliant year this year and I knew I had to play well and I did in the important moments."
In 2016, Murray reached the US Open quarterfinals. He hasn't won back-to-back matches in New York since then. To do that in 2022, he'll have to beat young American Emilio Nava, who ground down Australian John Millman 7-6(9), 4-6, 7-6(4), 1-6, 6-1 in nearly four hours.
