New Delhi: The first round of a Grand Slam is a bit like the first step of a long journey. You want to start well, leave the baggage of the past behind, or perhaps use the opportunity to reflect on the milestones that have brought you to this point.
It may seem inconsequential, but first steps—or in this case, first rounds—matter. They mean different things to different people. Defending women’s singles champion Coco Gauff, for example, is treating this year’s US Open as a “victory lap.”
Why a “victory lap”? Well, her recent form hasn’t been great—she lost in the third round of the Paris Olympics and suffered early exits at tournaments in Cincinnati and Toronto. And things have, at least in her mind, “been a little tough.”
But the 6-2 6-0 victory over Varvara Gracheva in just 66 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium did much to soothe the nerves. First steps in a journey that may or may not take her to the title again.
In her on-court interview, Gauff spoke about how a fan’s comment on her TikTok account had helped change her perspective coming into the US Open.
“Someone commented on my TikTok saying you’ve won in life, literally and figuratively, and there’s no point in piling pressure on yourself on a victory lap,” Gauff said in her on-court interview. “I’m just treating this tournament like that and if you defend something that means you won something.”
And when one talks about winning, it is hard to look past Novak Djokovic, who is looking to win a record 25th Grand Slam. Major success has eluded the Serb this year and his 29-7 record this year is a far cry from what we usually see. But while Gauff sought affirmation, Djokovic was far more modest – he only wanted solidity.
The World No.2 beat Radu Albot 6-2 6-2 6-4 in his first match since clinching Olympic gold 23 days ago.
“I think it was a solid start,” Djokovic said after his first hard-court match since Indian Wells in March. “Look, I struggled with my serve and the rhythm on certain shots. Overall, from the back of the court I thought I played pretty well.
“It’s always challenging to start, particularly when you haven’t played on this surface for five, six months and coming off an Olympic gold and playing on clay. I haven’t had any official matches before the US Open. So, I’m expecting to be challenged a little bit more in the opening rounds. Hopefully I can play better each day.”
First round matches have never really been a problem for Djokovic, who improved to 18-0 in first-round matches at the US Open. He has never lost before the third round in New York, exiting at that stage in his first two outings in 2005 and 2006.
He treats the first rounds like building blocks. Using the first week to find his rhythm, understand the courts and the conditions before really turning it on in the second week. It is far harder than he makes it seem. But that is what sets him apart; It is what set Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal apart.
But while the big players enjoy getting off the starter blocks, for some just getting here is a victory. The qualifying tournament began on August 19 and for those aiming to one day make their mark in the main draw, it begins here.
Some, though, are also looking for a restart. Reilly Opelka, who was once ranked in the Top 20, was playing his first US Open in three years. A botched wrist surgery threw him off and he went globe-trotting to find a solution. Now, he hopes he is back. First steps, right?
The 6’11” American known for his big serves lost in four sets, 7-6 (3), 1-6, 6-1, 7-5, to Lorenzo Musetti on Court 17. He competed and even though the first round ended in a loss, it gave him enough in terms of motivation.
For one player in particular, the first round was also a means to an end. Dominic Thiem, who was one ranked as high as world no.3, played his final match at the Majors, losing 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 to rising American star Ben Shelton.
“I had my greatest success here on this court in the weird year of 2020,” Thiem said in a post-match on-court interview. “I had that success without any of you. That was the most amazing moment for me, but also a sad one, so I’m super happy that I had a chance to play my last US Open match here on this court, and to spend time with you guys.”
