Rinky Hijikata, Alexei Popyrin and Ajla Tomljanovic lead the Aussie charge on day one at US Open 2024.
New York, USA, 26 August 2024 | Leigh Rogers
Alexei Popyrin leads a seven-strong Australian contingent competing on the opening day at US Open 2024.
The 25-year-old is seeded in a Grand Slam tournament for the first time in his career and arrives in New York with newfound self-belief after clinching his first ATP Masters 1000 singles title earlier this month.
“I would say they are higher than ever,” the No.28 seed said of his confidence levels.
Popyrin will start as a heavy favourite against Korean Soonwoo Kwon, who has only won two tour-level matches this season and tumbled to world No.340 in the rankings. However, the Aussie No.2 is wary of the former world No.52.
“Just because you’ve got a number next to your name, it doesn’t mean anything,” Popyrin told Stan Sport on the eve of his fifth US Open campaign.
“Everybody in this draw is high quality, that’s why they are here. There’s no easy matches, that’s for sure.”
Fellow Australians Rinky Hijikata and Adam Walton both face higher-ranked opponents in their first-round matches in the men’s singles competition.
The 23-year-old Hijikata, who advanced to the fourth round at Flushing Meadows last year and currently sits at a career-high world No.62, takes on former world No.21 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, while 25-year-old Walton makes his US Open debut against world No.77 Alexandre Muller.
“I’m very excited,” world No.95 Walton said ahead of his meeting with the 27-year-old Frenchman. “(It’s) my first time ever coming to the grounds here and to play another main draw Grand Slam is very special to me.”
Ajla Tomljanovic, a quarterfinalist at the US Open in 2022, is one of four Australian women in action on day one. The 31-year-old told Stan Sport she is determined to “live in the now” when she meets American qualifier Ann Li.
“What happened two years ago feels like a long time ago,” said the world No.118, who memorably defeated Serena Williams during her stunning 2022 run at Flushing Meadows.
Grand Slam debutante Maya Joint, a promising 18-year-old qualifier and the third youngest player in the draw, meets experienced German Laura Siegemund, a two-time US Open doubles champion and the fourth oldest woman in the draw at age 36.
Fellow qualifier Priscilla Hon faces a daunting first-round assignment, with the 26-year-old from Brisbane pitted against world No.2 and last year’s finalist Aryna Sabalenka in a Louis Armstrong Stadium night match.
Meanwhile Kimberly Birrell, a 26-year-old from the Gold Coast who has also qualified at a Grand Slam tournament for the first time, opens play on Court 12 against in-form Croatian Donna Vekic. The 24th-seeded Vekic was a Wimbledon semifinalist and won a silver medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games last month.
World No.147 Birrell did win their only previous meeting, triumphing in a three-set battle in the second round at Australian Open 2019.
The US Open is broadcast live in Australia on the Nine Network and Stan Sport, with coverage beginning from 1am AEST (from Tuesday 27 August)
Aussies in action on day one:
Men’s singles, first round
Adam Walton (AUS) v Alexandre Muller (FRA), Court 9, second match
[28] Alexei Popyrin (AUS) v Soonwoo Kwon (KOR), Court 12, second match
Rinky Hijikata (AUS) v Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ESP), Court 6, third match
Women’s singles, first round
[Q] Kimberly Birrell (AUS) v [24] Donna Vekic (CRO), Court 12, first match (from 1am AEST)
[Q] Maya Joint (AUS) v Laura Siegemund (GER), Court 14, second match
Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) v [Q] Ann Li (USA), Court 13, third match
[Q] Priscilla Hon (AUS) v [2] Aryna Sabalenka, Louis Armstrong Stadium, night session, second match
> VIEW: Full US Open 2024 day one schedule
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