WHAT HAPPENED: No. 26 seed Elina Svitolina is always a crowd favorite. As a new mom, and with husband Gael Monfils on her team, the Ukrainian player’s fans are numerous—and noisy. In her Round 1 match, Svitolina used that energy to make quick work of German Anna-Lena Friedsam, ranked No. 90 in the world. Final score: 6-3, 6-1.
Despite the fact they’re close in age—28 for the favored player, versus 29—the women have never met. But there’s a lot more content chronicling Svitolina’s success out there: The Ukrainian star was ranked as high as No. 3 in the world and has had an impressive run since returning from maternity leave in the spring. Most notably, she played a semifinal match at Wimbledon, losing to women’s singles champion Marketa Vondrousova, and the quarterfinals at Roland Garros.
Not so Friedsam, whose best result at a US Open was a second-round match in 2020.
Still, the German player kept pace at the start of the match with some solid net play and a strategy that had her opponent sprinting from corner to corner—as well as forward, to retrieve a barrage of drop shots. Against one of the fastest—and fittest—women on tour, that strategy ultimately failed. Svitolina grabbed a break of serve and never looked back, taking the set, 6-3.
New set, same story: Svitolina is a confidence player, and before she could settle into the new frame, Friedsam found herself down, 0-5. Svitolina seemed to speed up play—if that’s even possible—taking the game at love. Final set score: 6-1.
After the match, Svitolina dismissed concerns about the foot pain that forced her to withdraw from the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati just a few weeks ago.
“I’m very happy with my performance today and my health, as well,” said a smiling Svitolina. “Any win at a Grand Slam is a happy day.”
WHAT IT MEANS: Svitolina’s draw continues with American Jessica Pegula, the No. 3 seed, as a potential Round 3 opponent. And there’s more danger further up the road. Also in Svitolina's quarter is the player who gave Svitolina her Wimbledon pink slip, Vondrousova, who posted her own Round 1 win earlier in the day, defeating Korean qualifier Na Lae Han, 6-3, 6-0.
MATCH POINT: Court 17 is turning out to be a family affair for one of the sport’s most beloved couples. Monfils, Svitolina’s husband and the father of baby Skaï, will take the court next for his match against Taro Daniel.
Skaï is not in New York, said her mom when asked. Sounding like every working mother everywhere, Svitolina was wistful about taking time away from their daughter.
“We decided for the sake of her health to leave her home,” she said. “We FaceTime her every day, but it's not easy.”