Swiatek begins US Open title bid with comfortable win

US Open 2025

Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Dates: 24 August-7 September

Coverage: Live radio commentaries across 5 Live Sport and BBC Sounds, plus live text commentaries on the BBC Sport website & app

World number two Iga Swiatek got her bid for a second US Open title off to a winning start with a comfortable straight-set victory over Colombia's Emiliana Arango.

The Pole, who won a maiden Wimbledon title last month and is the favourite to add a second title at Flushing Meadows to her 2022 triumph, cruised to a 6-1 6-2 victory on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Swiatek hit 26 winners to world number 84 Arango's five and won 76% of her points on serve without facing a break point.

"It felt great - first matches are not easy to get used to the rhythm and it was a solid match," she said.

"I am happy that I wasn't trying to overpower and I was solid."

The six-time Grand Slam champion warmed up for the final major of the year with victory at the Cincinnati Open - a WTA 1000 event - and looks in fine tune in New York.

Just one day later, she featured in the US Open's revamped mixed doubles event alongside Casper Ruud where the pair reached the final but missed out to defending champions and doubles specialists Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori.

Swiatek took early control of her match against Arango with a break of serve in the fourth game before breaking again for a 5-1 lead and holding to clinch the opening set.

That ruthless form continued into the second set as Swiatek immediately broke her opponent's serve in the opening game, then again in the seventh, and sealed a dominant win in just over an hour.

Swiatek will face the Netherlands' Suzan Lamens, ranked 66 in the world, in the second round.

Elsewhere, eighth seed Amanda Anisimova made it safely through to the second round by beating Australian Kim Birrell 6-3 6-2.

American Anisimova, playing her first Grand Slam match since being beaten 6-0 6-0 by Swiatek in the Wimbledon final, hit 17 unforced errors in the opening set but improved markedly in the second.

She won the last five games of the match to set up a second-round meeting with another Australian, teenager Maya Joint.

"I was nervous but I was just trying to have a little fun out there. I'm happy to be back," said Anisimova, who lost in the first round at Flushing Meadows last year.

However, her compatriot Danielle Collins made an early exit for the second consecutive year, winning just two games as she was beaten by Jacqueline Cristian of Romania.

World number 50 Cristian prevailed 6-2 6-0 against 2019 Australian Open semi-finalist Collins, who was hampered by a back injury.