Alex de Minaur is safely through to the second round of the US Open.
The 26-year-old arrived in New York in good form after capturing the Citi Open title and reaching the quarterfinals in Toronto.
The Australian equalled his best result at the US Open in 2024, when he reached the fourth round.
A year later, De Minaur is primed and ready to go at least one step further at Flushing Meadows, and he has made an encouraging start.
Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty ImagesAlex de Minaur says he likes the US Open balls and court conditions
In recent seasons there have been more complaints from tennis players about the different balls used on the circuit.
Following his opening match at the US Open, Alex de Minaur stressed that each ball used at the tournament leading up to the American Grand Slam was different.
But he expressed his happiness with the balls and conditions at the US Open and he aims to make the most of them.
“I think by far this is the easiest conditions to play in over the hard court swing,” De Minaur told reporters. “I mean, don’t ask me why or how, but the balls have played completely differently in every event in the lead up.
“Here it actually feels normal. A lot of the players are scratching their heads because we don’t understand how we have played with this ball at the US Open and we have never felt that it’s uncontrollable or we can’t feel the ball in the strings.
“But in the lead up tournaments you could have asked any player in the draw and they would have had the same feelings.
“So for me it feels great to be here. It feels like comfortable conditions, it’s obviously quick and skiddy but I have always enjoyed it.”
Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty ImagesAlex de Minaur defeats fellow Australian to reach US Open second round
De Minaur opened his campaign with a victory over his compatriot Christopher O’Connell.
The pair were due to play one another for the first time in Toronto, but O’Connell was unable to compete.
In New York, the eighth seed did not face a break point on the way to clinching a 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 victory and advancing to round two, where he will play qualifier Shintaro Mochizuki.
With that victory, De Minaur has now surpassed former world number one Pat Rafter with 213 wins by an Australian on hard courts.
He is now behind two-time Grand Slam champion Lleyton Hewitt, who has 372 hard court victories to his name, more than any other Australian player.