Amanda Anisimova defeated Ashlyn Krueger 6-1, 6-3 on August 31, 2026, marking a solid start to her US Open campaign on her 25th birthday. The match lasted 1 hour and 12 minutes. Anisimova, the world number 10 and last year's US Open runner-up, said, "Ashlyn's a great player so I knew it was going to be a tough match" [1, 2]. She will face Austrian player Lilli Tagger in the second round [1, 2].
Two-time US Open champion Naomi Osaka also advanced, beating unseeded Russian Anastasia Zakharova 7-6(6), 7-6(3) in a physically demanding match on the same day [3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]. Osaka, seeded 13th, credited the win to strong mental resilience and described the effort: "I would say it took everything (to win). I have no idea what time it is. Thanks for staying. I'm grateful to be able to play on this court again. I just told myself to not have any regrets" [5].
Osaka attracted attention not only for her play but also for her bold walk-on outfit. She wore a hooded tunic covered with newspaper clippings about her career and a billowing white tulle train [3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]. Underneath, she sported a basketball-inspired kit, braided cornrow hair, and a headband, paying tribute to NBA Hall of Famer Allen Iverson. Osaka said of Iverson, "He's a trailblazer. I think he's also someone that I look up to a lot, because he's done a lot in fashion... He's shifted the way that NBA players dress. I also think the whole conversation around clothes in sports and just expressing yourself through style" [4, 7, 8]. Iverson responded on Instagram, "Wow, what a honor!! BIG FAN can't wait to meet you" [7].
Osaka has been noted for her distinctive Grand Slam outfits this year, each inspired by different themes including jellyfish at the Australian Open, the Eiffel Tower at Roland Garros, a Japanese kimono at Wimbledon, and now basketball at the US Open [3, 4, 5, 6]. Her victory over Zakharova marked her 10th major match win of the 2026 season, the most since 2019, and her first time winning at all four majors since 2018 [7]. Osaka will face Czech Republic's Katerina Siniakova in the second round [3, 4, 5, 6, 7].
