Rain disrupts US Open as Pegula and Shelton advance while first round drags into fourth day
Top seeds Jessica Pegula and Ben Shelton cruised into the third round under protected roofs at Arthur Ashe Stadium, while persistent rain delays left some players still competing in first-round matches on Wednesday.
Rain disrupts US Open as Pegula and Shelton advance while first round drags into fourth day
NEW YORK — While Jessica Pegula blazed through her second-round match in under an hour Wednesday, some competitors at the rain-plagued US Open were still battling to complete their opening matches.
The No. 3 seed and 2024 US Open runner-up needed just 56 minutes to defeat 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin 6-3, 6-1 under the Arthur Ashe Stadium roof. No. 8 seed Ben Shelton followed with a four-set victory over Hubert Hurkacz, 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (3), 7-5.
For a second consecutive day, rain suspended play on outside courts, allowing only matches under the retractable roofs at Arthur Ashe Stadium and Louis Armstrong Stadium to proceed uninterrupted. The roofs have proven essential infrastructure investments after five consecutive years from 2008 to 2012 saw rain delay the men's finals.
Arthur Ashe Stadium's retractable roof became operational in 2016, followed by Louis Armstrong Stadium's innovative naturally ventilated roof in 2018, which allows air to flow through openings even when closed.
Scheduling chaos from tournament start
The tournament's expanded 15-day format, implemented in 2025 when the US Open became the first Grand Slam in the Open Era to start on a Sunday, was designed to spread the first round across three days rather than two. However, rain has plagued the event since opening day on August 30, turning what should have been a smoother schedule into an extended ordeal.
Australian No. 6 seed Alex de Minaur said his match was relocated twice before he finally started his tournament Wednesday on Court 11, defeating Italy's Andrea Guerrieri 6-2, 6-2, 6-4.
It's been a couple tough days. But I mean, these tournaments, it's all about adapting and that's the name of the game. There's too much to play for to let something like this affect you.
Spain's Paula Badosa faced an unusual preparation challenge before completing her suspended match against Daria Kasatkina, which had been halted Tuesday with her one game from victory.
I didn't know if I was going to play just two points or six, or I don't know how much. I was very nervous that I even couldn't eat.
Badosa said after finishing off her 6-1, 6-4 win to set up a second-round clash with No. 4 Coco Gauff.
High stakes beyond weather
Pegula has additional motivation beyond advancing through the draw. She is one of four players, along with defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, and Gauff, competing for the WTA No. 1 ranking at this tournament.
To be out of there in under an hour, it doesn't always happen. So I think I'm just going to take that one and run until the next round.
Pegula said, who fell to Sabalenka in last year's final and has faced the Belarusian in multiple championship matches.
Pegula will next face either No. 31 seed Leylah Fernandez, the 2021 US Open runner-up, or the winner between No. 16 Sorana Cirstea and No. 19 Jasmine Paolini.
Kenin's first-round victory came against 46-year-old Venus Williams, who received a wildcard and became the oldest woman to compete in the US Open singles main draw since Renée Richards in 1981. That match began at 12:13 AM due to earlier rain delays.
Mixed results across draws
No. 7 Daniil Medvedev dispatched Sebastian Gorzny 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 on Ashe, pausing briefly only to protest when the chair umpire ordered a point replayed after two birds settled on the net.
The tournament scheduled 25 men's singles matches Wednesday alone in an attempt to catch up from Tuesday's delays. American Alex Michelsen pulled off an upset by ousting fellow countryman Brandon Nakashima, the No. 16 seed, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.
In the women's draw, Wimbledon runner-up and No. 7 seed Karolina Muchova cruised past Katie Boulter 6-1, 6-0, while No. 11 Marta Kostyuk defeated 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens 6-1, 7-5.
However, not everyone advanced smoothly. Spain's No. 12 Rafael Jodar, 19, who arrived following a strong summer, was routed 6-2, 6-1, 6-1 by China's Bu Yunchaokete when his first-round match finally concluded.
I knew it wasn't going to be easy because I was waiting a lot yesterday and today as well, but it is what it is. We cannot control the rain, so it's difficult for both players.
Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz were scheduled to play their second-round matches on Ashe Wednesday night as the tournament continues its struggle to return to normal scheduling.
