Michael Zheng, a 22-year-old American wildcard, marked a significant milestone in his tennis career by achieving his first Grand Slam win at the US Open. Zheng, known for his impressive collegiate performance as a two-time NCAA singles champion with Columbia University, defeated Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan with a straight-set victory of 6-4, 6-4, 6-2. The match, which Zheng dominated by breaking Marozsan five times and winning 92% of his first-serve points, concluded in just under two hours in front of a supportive home audience.
This victory is particularly meaningful for Zheng, who spent his formative years training at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, making frequent trips from his home in New Jersey. The triumph also propelled him into the top 100 in the live world rankings for the first time. Zheng’s ascent in the tennis world has been swift over the past year, with notable achievements including qualification for the Australian Open and a third-round appearance at Wimbledon. He is now set to face Yunchaokete Bu of China in the next round.
Other American players also made waves at Flushing Meadows. Ben Shelton secured his spot in the next round by defeating Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz in a four-set encounter. Shelton, the tournament’s eighth seed, triumphed with scores of 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (3), 7-5, extending his streak of reaching at least the third round of the US Open for four consecutive years. Frances Tiafoe maintained his consistent performance at the tournament by beating Japanese qualifier Rei Sakamoto 6-3, 7-6 (2), 7-5, marking his seventh consecutive advancement to the third round.
In the women’s draw, third seed Jessica Pegula delivered a commanding performance against former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, winning 6-3, 6-1 in just 56 minutes. Pegula is set to compete against Canadian Leylah Fernandez in the subsequent round. Taylor Townsend also advanced with a decisive 6-1, 6-1 win over Australia’s Taylah Preston, while Emma Navarro, Iva Jovic, and Alex Michelsen moved forward as well.
However, not all American players found success. Former US Open champion Sloane Stephens was defeated by Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk, and wildcard Sebastian Gorzny fell to 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev. Despite these setbacks, Zheng’s breakthrough into the top 100, coupled with the progression of Shelton and Tiafoe, underscored a strong day for the American contingent at the US Open.