Swiatek Beats Wang Xiyu at US Open

Iga Swiatek beat Wang Xiyu 6-2, 6-3 in the first round of the 2026 US Open on Monday night at Louis Armstrong Stadium. The eighth seed needed 1 hour and 28 minutes, never faced a break point, and closed it with a late break in the second set.

This is the version of Swiatek New York expects. Straight sets, no drama, and a second-round date already on the board. She leads Wang 3-0 in their head-to-head, all in straight sets.

How Swiatek took the match

The WTA recap had her backhand doing the early damage, including the break that made it 3-1. Wang saved three break points in the next service game, two with forehand winners and one with a volley. Then Swiatek's forehand showed up. She held for 5-2, broke when Wang sent a forehand long, and took the set.

They traded holds through seven games of the second. A forehand into the corner finally gave Swiatek the break she needed, and she served it out. She forced nine break points, converted three, and won 80 percent of her first-serve points.

The first-round streak is still alive

Swiatek has now won 28 consecutive opening matches at majors. Her only Grand Slam first-round loss remains Viktorija Golubic at Wimbledon in 2019. She is 30-1 in those openers, with 28 of the wins in straight sets. "I don't treat these matches like they should be easy. I don't take them for granted," she said.

On court she called it a good day in the office. Reuters had her saying she felt the energy and intensity from the start, and that Wang's deep, heavy topspin made her work for it. She arrived with a Toronto title and a Cincinnati semifinal, her first real hard-court lift of an uneven year.

Who does Swiatek play next?

Nadia Podoroska is next. The Argentine, now ranked No. 449 after a former high of No. 36, beat Simona Waltert to get there. Their only previous meeting was the 2020 French Open semifinals, on Swiatek's way to her first major. Armstrong was quieter than Ashe, and that suited her. She never had to survive a break point, and she never let Wang's resistance turn into a third set.

A win would be Swiatek's 110th Grand Slam main-draw victory since the start of 2020, the most of any player in that span. Aryna Sabalenka is next at 106 after opening her own title defense against Camila Osorio. For one Monday night on Armstrong, Swiatek kept that chase on schedule.