Rybakina Beats Frodin in Straight Sets to Open US Open Campaign

Elena Rybakina began her 2026 US Open campaign with a 6-3, 6-2 first-round victory over American wild card Thea Frodin on Tuesday. The match on Grandstand followed a rain delay of nearly three hours, according to reporting from the US Open’s official website.

Watch the highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpFw8LguWW4

The No. 2 seed needed 30 minutes to secure the opening set. Both players had difficulty landing first serves, with Frodin making 46 percent and Rybakina 52 percent. Rybakina made the decisive move in the sixth game, breaking for a 4-2 advantage before serving out the set three games later.

Rybakina broke immediately at the start of the second set and added another break after Frodin double-faulted twice while trailing 3-1. The Kazakh player then came through a four-deuce service game, saving the two break points Frodin earned in the match, to move within one game of victory at 5-1.

Frodin extended the contest in an eventful seventh game. The 17-year-old saved two match points with aces, then answered a double fault by producing two more aces before holding serve. Rybakina ended the match in the following game with an ace of her own. The US Open reported that Frodin finished with 11 aces, including five in that penultimate game.

The match was Frodin’s Grand Slam main-draw debut. She earned her place by winning the USTA Girls’ 18s National Championships and had previously portrayed a young Serena Williams as an on-court double in the 2021 film King Richard. Frodin said afterward that she had tried to play without pressure and recognized that she still had plenty to learn from facing one of the world’s leading players.

Rybakina credited Frodin’s powerful serve and aggressive game after the win. The reigning Australian Open champion also maintained uncertainty about the foot problem that affected her preparation, saying her condition would be assessed day by day after a period of limited physical work. Rybakina is seeking her first US Open title; her best previous result in New York was a fourth-round appearance in 2025.