Alex de Minaur has emerged victorious in a first-round clash against fellow Australian Chris O’Connell, marking a strong start to his campaign at the US Open. De Minaur, who is aiming for consecutive quarterfinal appearances at Flushing Meadows, showcased his prowess by not facing a single break point during his 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 win, which concluded in under two hours.
The eighth seed broke O’Connell in the opening game of the final set. Despite O’Connell’s valiant effort to fend off six other break points, de Minaur maintained control without overextending himself. O’Connell, who entered the match with an oblique injury, struggled to keep up with Australia’s top player.
“It’s never easy playing a fellow Aussie, a fellow mate,” de Minaur commented post-match. His next challenge will be against Japan’s Shintaro Mochizuki, ranked 112th in the world. De Minaur, who had hoped to compete in the mixed doubles alongside fiancée Katie Boulter, instead enjoyed New York’s nightlife at Old Mates Pub after missing out.
“It’s great to have a little bit of home,” de Minaur said. “You guys need to get the sausage roll or the meat pie. There’s nothing like Australian pies.”
Alexei Popyrin’s Impressive Start
Meanwhile, Alexei Popyrin has also made a strong return to New York, following his memorable performances last year. Popyrin defeated Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori with a 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(7/3) victory, setting up a second-round encounter with world number one Jannik Sinner.
Popyrin’s match against Ruusuvuori was marked by his powerful serve, delivering 10 aces and 44 winners. The Australian is no stranger to facing top seeds, having previously defeated Novak Djokovic during his run to the round of 16 in 2024. Popyrin remains unfazed by the prospect of facing Sinner, whom he leads in their head-to-head record, having won their only meeting at the Madrid Masters in 2021.
“If you want to win these tournaments, you have to beat one of these players at some point,” Popyrin stated. “But for me, because I don’t have a number in front of my name, it just comes a round earlier than it could have been.”
Maya Joint’s Breakthrough Victory
Maya Joint, another rising Australian star, secured her first major win of 2025 by defeating Victoria Jiménez Kasintseva 6-4, 7-6(8/6). This victory marks a significant milestone for Joint, who had previously fallen in the first round of the year’s other three majors. Her success at the US Open continues a remarkable year, which includes her first two WTA titles on different surfaces in Morocco and Eastbourne.
Joint’s rise in the rankings has been meteoric, starting 2024 ranked 684th and now standing at world number 43. Her performance against Kasintseva was a testament to her resilience, particularly in the second set where she saved set points to clinch the match. Joint’s next opponent is eighth-seeded Amanda Anisimova, a Wimbledon finalist, presenting another opportunity for Joint to exact revenge for her compatriots.
Ajla Tomljanović, Joint’s Billie Jean King Cup teammate, remarked, “There’s no ceiling on what she might achieve.”
Other Australian Performances
Tristan Schoolkate joined his compatriots in the second round after a grueling four-hour-and-18-minute battle against Lorenzo Sonego, winning 6-3, 7-6(10/8), 1-6, 1-6, 7-6(10/8). Schoolkate’s victory was hard-fought, demonstrating his ability to regain composure after losing momentum in the third and fourth sets.
Elsewhere, Ajla Tomljanović is set to face third seed Coco Gauff on Arthur Ashe Stadium, aiming to add her name to the list of Australian winners at the tournament.
The US Open continues to be a platform for Australian tennis players to showcase their talent and resilience, with de Minaur, Popyrin, and Joint leading the charge. As the tournament progresses, these athletes will look to build on their early successes and make deeper runs at one of tennis’s most prestigious events.
