Michael Zheng’s transition from college tennis to the big leagues reached a significant milestone as he claimed his first Grand Slam victory at the US Open. Zheng, a 22-year-old American wildcard and two-time NCAA singles champion from Columbia University, triumphed over Fabian Marozsan in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2. The match, held before an enthusiastic home crowd, saw Zheng break Marozsan five times and dominate with a 92% success rate on his first-serve points, securing the win in just under two hours.
Growing up in New Jersey, Zheng frequently trained at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, making this victory especially meaningful. His performance propelled him into the top 100 in the live world rankings for the first time. Zheng’s ascent over the past year has been notable; after qualifying for the Australian Open and achieving his first tour-level victory, he made it to the third round at Wimbledon. His next challenge is against Yunchaokete Bu of China in the subsequent round.
The day also saw Ben Shelton advancing in the tournament after a hard-fought four-set match against Hubert Hurkacz. Shelton, the eighth seed, emerged victorious with scores of 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (3), 7-5, marking his fourth consecutive year reaching at least the third round in New York. Meanwhile, Frances Tiafoe continued his strong performance at the US Open by defeating Japanese qualifier Rei Sakamoto 6-3, 7-6 (2), 7-5, sending him into the third round for the seventh year in a row.
In the women’s competition, third seed Jessica Pegula made quick work of former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, winning 6-3, 6-1 in a match that lasted just 56 minutes. Pegula now faces Leylah Fernandez of Canada in her next match. Taylor Townsend also advanced with a commanding 6-1, 6-1 win over Australia’s Taylah Preston, while Emma Navarro, Iva Jovic, and Alex Michelsen moved forward as well.
However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing for the American players, as former US Open champion Sloane Stephens and wildcard Sebastian Gorzny fell short. Stephens was defeated by Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk, while Gorzny lost to 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev. Despite these setbacks, Zheng’s breakthrough into the top 100 and the continued success of Shelton and Tiafoe highlighted a strong day for the American contingent at Flushing Meadows.