Michael Zheng has marked a significant milestone in his tennis career by achieving his first Grand Slam victory at the US Open. The 22-year-old American wildcard, who boasts two NCAA singles titles from Columbia University, defeated Fabian Marozsan with a score of 6-4, 6-4, 6-2. Zheng’s impressive performance, which included breaking Marozsan’s serve five times and winning 92% of his first-serve points, thrilled the home crowd and concluded in just under two hours.
Zheng’s triumph is especially meaningful given his background, having trained at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center during his youth while commuting from New Jersey. This victory has propelled him into the top 100 of the live world rankings for the first time. His rapid ascent over the past year includes qualifying for the Australian Open and attaining his first tour-level win, as well as reaching Wimbledon’s third round. Zheng is set to face China’s Yunchaokete Bu in his subsequent match.
In other developments, American players have shown strong performances. Ben Shelton progressed after a challenging four-set match against Hubert Hurkacz, ending 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 maintained his consistent US Open record by defeating Japanese qualifier Rei Sakamoto 6-3, 7-6 (2), 7-5, advancing to the third round for the seventh consecutive year.
On the women’s side, 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 will next compete against Leylah Fernandez from Canada. Also advancing was Taylor Townsend, who achieved a decisive victory over Australia’s Taylah Preston with a 6-1, 6-1 result. Emma Navarro, Iva Jovic, and Alex Michelsen are among others who moved forward in the tournament.
However, the day wasn’t without setbacks for the American players, as former US Open champion Sloane Stephens faced defeat against Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk, while wildcard Sebastian Gorzny lost to 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev. Despite these losses, with Zheng’s breakthrough into the top 100 and the continued success of Shelton and Tiafoe, the American contingent has had a strong showing at Flushing Meadows.