FIRST ROUND: Venus Williams, Keys bow out, Alcaraz launches campaign

Venus Williams battled bravely before bowing out of the US Open on her return to Grand Slam tennis on Monday as Melbourne champion Madison Keys suffered a shock first-round exit.

Order of Play

The second full day of action in New York saw all eyes turn to the Arthur Ashe Stadium's night session, where the 45-year-old Williams lost in three sets to 11th seed Karolina Muchova.

Williams only returned to competitive tennis in July following a 16-month absence from the sport and had been granted a wild card into the main draw at Flushing Meadows.

But hopes of a fairytale run – 28 years after her debut in the tournament in 1997 – ended in a 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 loss to Muchova, who was not even born when Williams turned professional in 1994.

"I didn't win today but I'm very proud of the way I played," Williams said.

"I don't think I've ever had a crowd on my side like that. I knew people around the world and around the United States were really rooting for me, and that felt great."

ALCARAZ EASES INTO US OPEN ROUND TWO

Carlos Alcaraz unveiled a striking new hairstyle before giving towering Reilly Opelka the chop at the US Open on Monday.

The 22-year-old arrived on Arthur Ashe Stadium sporting a severe military-style crew cut for his night match with the American.

While Alcaraz's new look failed to impress some – close friend and fellow player Frances Tiafoe called it "terrible" – it did not distract the streamlined Spaniard from the task at hand as he motored to a 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 first-round victory over the 6ft 11in Opelka.

Alcaraz could not hide his delight with his performance against his big-serving opponent.

"Today was a really difficult one," Alcaraz said.

"Reilly is a great, tough player. I couldn't get the rhythm that I wanted to get but I'm just really happy with what I did today. I did a great performance today."

Alcaraz revealed that his new haircut had arisen from a botched attempt at a trim by his brother.

"My brother just misunderstood the machine. He just cut it," Alcaraz said. "Then, you know, the only way to fix it is just shave it off. To be honest, it's not that bad, I guess.

"Some people like it. Some people don't like it. To be honest, I'm just laughing about the reactions of the people."

Alcaraz, who won the first of his five Grand Slam singles titles at the US Open in 2022, took control with a break in the fifth game of the first set, retaining that advantage before serving out to love.

After saving two Opelka break points before holding for 3-3 in the second set, Alcaraz seized his chance in the 11th game, breaking for a 6-5 lead before holding to take a 2-0 stranglehold on the contest.

The third set went with serve until the ninth game, when Alcaraz once again scored a decisive break to take a 5-4 lead.

A long forehand return from Opelka gave Alcaraz three match points, and he converted the first with a scorching forehand down the line to advance.

Alcaraz will face Italy's Mattia Bellucci in the second round.

KVITOVA FAREWELL

Czech Republic's Barbora Krejcikova bundled out rising Canadian star Victoria Mboko, defeating the teenager 6-3, 6-2.

Belgian 19th seed Elise Mertens ousted wild card Alyssa Ahn 6-1, 6-0 while Ukrainian 30th seed Dayana Yastremska exited in a 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 loss to Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova formally brought the curtain down on her career after a 6-1, 6-0 defeat to France's Diane Parry.

The 35-year-old Czech had already announced her intention to retire after the US Open, but was nonetheless overcome with emotion as she said farewell to the sport, breaking down in tears as she addressed fans afterwards.

"I hoped I would put on a better show today," Kvitova said. "It was tough to know it could be my last match, and emotionally it was very tough as well."

In the men's draw, qualifier Coleman Wong scored a notable win, becoming the first player from Hong Kong to record a victory in a Grand Slam singles event in the Open era with a 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (7/4) defeat of US player Aleksandar Kovacevic.

It was the latest in a series of breakthrough results by young Asian players at this year's US Open.

Alexandra Eala of the Philippines – who trains with Wong at Rafael Nadal's academy in Spain – and Indonesia's Janice Tjen both won their first round games in the main draw.

British fifth seed Jack Draper needed four sets to get past Argentina's Federico Gomez, 6-4, 7-5, 6-7 (7/9), 6-2.

Other seeds to advance included Norway's Casper Ruud, the 12th seed, who downed Austria's Sebastian Ofner 6-1, 6-2, 7-6 (7/5).

US 17th seed Frances Tiafoe beat Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka 6-3, 7-6 (8/6), 6-3.