Elena Rybakina kicked off her US Open campaign with a strong performance, defeating 17-year-old wildcard Thea Frodin 6-3, 6-2. The 27-year-old, ranked second in the world, had recently withdrawn from the Cincinnati Masters due to a heel injury, but showed no signs of discomfort during her match at Flushing Meadows. Rybakina is currently 434 points behind Aryna Sabalenka in the rankings and has a realistic chance to become the world number one if she reaches the semi-finals in New York. This would happen even if Sabalenka successfully defends her title. Rybakina could also take the top spot if none of Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, or Jessica Pegula win the tournament. Rybakina expressed her motivation to reach the top of the rankings but emphasized she is taking things "day by day." She noted that she had previously had opportunities to achieve the top spot but it had not worked out for her. She stressed the importance of focusing on her recovery and continuing to move forward in her career. Despite concerns about her fitness after retiring injured in Cincinnati, Rybakina looked composed on the court against Frodin. The young wildcard, who made her WTA Tour main-draw debut after winning the USTA Girls' 18s National Championship, gave Rybakina a tough match, saving three match points with aces in her final service game. Rybakina dominated the match on serve and controlled points from the baseline. She opened the rain-delayed match with a double fault but remained relentless, dropping only three points and securing three consecutive love holds in the first set. She didn't face a break point until the sixth game of the second set, saving both. She was equally effective on Frodin's serve, converting her first three break points to take a commanding lead. Rybakina praised Frodin for her performance, acknowledging her strong shots and serve. She ended the match with an ace, her sixth of the match and the 363rd of the season, which currently leads the tour. In women's doubles, Serena Williams is set for a rematch with Maya Joint, who defeated her in three sets on her singles return at Wimbledon in June. Williams, playing with her sister Venus for the first time at a Grand Slam since 2022, has been drawn against Joint and Chan Hao-ching of Taiwan. The Williams sisters, awarded a wildcard to compete in New York, have won 14 doubles titles together between 1999 and 2016, including two US Opens. They were due to renew their partnership at Wimbledon, but Serena suffered a knee injury in her first-round loss to Joint.