Round 2 begins on Day 3 of the 2024 US Open, as a host of tennis’ top talents take to the courts of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, each eager to take a second step forward into the Flushing fortnight.
Defending champions Novak Djokovic and Coco Gauff headline the action today, topping a bill that also includes Olympic gold medalist Qinwen Zheng, Wimbledon titlist Barbora Krejcikova, Roland Garros runner-up Alexander Zverev, 2022 Flushing finalist Casper Ruud, two-time Aussie Open champ Aryna Sabalenka, 2021 Wimbledon runner-up Matteo Berrettini, and an American contingent led by Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Madison Keys, Ben Shelton, Emma Navarro and Taylor Townsend. The first two days have claimed half of the field; those who remain know that in order to keep running, they need to keep winning. The race is on.
It’s been a sterling year for gold medalist Zheng, who offered up a sign of the good things to come at last year’s US Open, where she knocked out 2022 Flushing finalist Ons Jabeur in the fourth round before losing to Sabalenka in the quarters. In January, she blazed her way into her first career major final before losing there—again to Sabalenka. But the 21-year-old Chinese star eclipsed the field in Paris, knocking off three-time major champ Angelique Kerber in the quarters and world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the semis before ousting Donna Vekic in the final to strike gold, becoming the first player from her country—male or female—ever to win Olympic gold in tennis. Now ranked a career-high No. 7, Zheng comes to New York with a very real chance to better her 2023 Flushing finish.
Today, she takes on Erika Andreeva, a 20-year old making just her second US Open main-draw appearance. Andreeva is the older sister of 2024 Roland Garros semifinalist Mirra Andreeva, but unlike her younger sibling, has yet to experience much success on a major stage. Her second-round finish at Wimbledon this year is her best career Slam showing, and she will at least match that mark here. That said, Andreeva did a post an impressive win over American Danielle Collins earlier this month in reaching the quarters of the hard-court Monterrey event and is now ranked at a career-high No. 75.
After all the Olympic-related ballyhoo, which included a trip home to China before her foray to Flushing, it’s easy to understand why Zheng struggled early in her first-round match, losing the first set to American Amanda Anisimova before rallying for a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 win. But having now found her hard-court footing, those struggles should be a thing of the past.
This is the first time the two women have gone head-to-head, and it’s hard to fathom that Zheng’s powerful ground game and elite movement won’t put her head and shoulders above an overmatched Andreeva. In two, Zheng is on to Round 3.
Fritz, the top-ranked American man at No. 12, likewise left Paris this summer with some impressive new neckwear, copping a bronze medal in doubles with partner Tommy Paul. The huge-hitting 26-year-old Californian is looking to become the first American man to win a Grand Slam title since Andy Roddick finished first in Flushing in 2003. US Open boys’ champ in 2015, Fritz most certainly has the artillery to make a deep drive here, but his run to the quarters of last year’s Open marks his best-ever Flushing finish. That said, five of Fritz’ eight career titles have come on a hard floor—including this year’s Delray Beach event—and he owns an impressive 39-16 lifetime mark on cement. Twice a major quarterfinalist this year—at the Aussie Open and Wimbledon—the American would undoubtedly like nothing more than to better that mark at his home Slam.
Fritz is going to have to bring his “A-plus” game today in order graduate to the next round, as he faces off with Berrettini, the 28-year-old Italian who was a Wimbledon finalist in 2021 and has enjoyed a serious surge this year after missing the latter half of 2023 with an injury. Berrettini has this year won three singles titles—all on clay—and reached a fourth final on grass in Stuttgart. A semifinalist here in 2019, the Italian has twice more reached the quarters in Flushing, owning an explosive ground game that translates well to cement. He is the only Italian man in the history of Italian men to reach the quarters of all four majors.
That said, Berrettini is 0-3 lifetime against Fritz, winning just one set in those three career encounters with the American. This should be a good one, featuring two ferocious sluggers in search of one heavyweight title. Expect fireworks, and when the smoke clears, expect Fritz to be the one left standing. In a ferocious four, Fritz advances.
