Australian Open champion Madison Keys became the first big casualty of the US Open as she crashed to an opening-round loss in New York.
The sixth seed, who reached the final at Flushing Meadows eight years ago, hit 89 unforced errors in a 6-7 (10) 7-6 (3) 7-5 defeat by Mexico’s Renata Zarazua.
Keys looked on her way to victory at 3-0 up in the second set only to lose five games in a row, and the home favourite, who memorably defeated Aryna Sabalenka to win her maiden grand slam title in Melbourne in January, was unable to salvage the situation.
“I feel like today, for the first time in a while, my nerves really got the better of me, and it kind of became a little bit paralysing,” said Keys.
“I want to win, but just feeling like winning matters just way too much, and I just couldn’t quite separate myself from that. Then once you start playing badly, it just kind of all snowballs.”
An emotional Petra Kvitova waved goodbye to tennis after a first-round loss at Flushing Meadows.
The two-time former Wimbledon champion announced earlier this summer that the US Open would be her final tournament.
Her interest in the event turned out to be extremely brief, with the 35-year-old Czech lasting just 52 minutes in a 6-1 6-0 loss to France’s Diane Parry in front of a sparse crowd.
Kvitova was tearful during an on-court presentation featuring a video celebrating her career.
“I didn’t expect myself either (to be emotional) but, since I woke up this morning, I felt it,” said the big-hitting left-hander, who returned to the sport earlier this year following a break for the birth of her son.
“I felt it would be not good. I couldn’t eat. I was really nervous. But in a different way, I would say. I couldn’t move, I couldn’t swing, I couldn’t do anything. It was really difficult.
Fly with Caro 🇫🇷
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 25, 2025
Congratulations on a magnifique career, @CaroGarcia! pic.twitter.com/jQ7m6oXf8Z
“It was something new, and it was for the last time as well, so I will now take the experience from it. I’m glad I did it. I think it’s just ending everything.”
Kvitova retires as one of the best female players of her generation, with her career capped by her Wimbledon titles in 2011 and 2014.
She also reached a high of world number two, won 31 career titles and made a remarkable comeback from being stabbed in the hand by an intruder at her home in late 2016, going on to make the Australian Open final in 2019.
“It was a long journey to get to the top 100,” said Kvitova. “It was many years playing under the pressure as well as being top 10 for a long time.
“Being grand slam champion, it’s a great pressure to have, for sure. It was a lot of pressure overall in my tennis career. On and off the court, as well. But I enjoyed it. I think I did it quite well.”
It was also the end of the tennis road for former world number four Caroline Garcia, with the Frenchwoman hanging up her racket after a 6-4 4-6 6-3 loss to Kamilla Rakhimova.
There was also a first-round defeat for young Canadian star Victoria Mboko, who was beaten 6-3 6-2 by former Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova.
Mboko, who turns 19 on Tuesday, stunningly won the WTA 1000 tournament at home in Montreal earlier this month and made her US Open debut as the 22nd seed, but was well beaten by Krejcikova.
Draper v Gomez live: US Open latest score as British No 1 advances
Jack Draper battles through difficult start to US Open campaign
US Open 2025: Men’s and Women’s seeds list and tracker
Cameron Norrie into US Open second round after Sebastian Korda’s retirement
The ‘casually rowdy’ chaos of the US Open
Former Wimbledon champion Angela Mortimer-Barrett dies aged 93
