Kazakh tennis player Timofey Skatov (205) started his US Open 2026 qualifying campaign with a confident win, defeating Belgium's Gilles-Arnaud Bailly (240) 6:4, 6:2. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
In the first set, Skatov needed just one break in the third game, while in the second he broke Bailly's serve in the fifth and seventh games. The match lasted 1 hour and 33 minutes, ending 6:4, 6:2. The ace count was 4:2, double faults 0:0, and total points won 70:54.
In the second round of qualifying, Skatov will face the winner of the match between Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria, 137) and Lorenzo Giustino (Italy, 201).
This is Skatov's third attempt to reach the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament in 2026. At Wimbledon, the 25-year-old from Petropavl fell one win short.
In the main draw of US Open 2026, Kazakhstan will be represented by Alexander Bublik, Alexander Shevchenko, Yulia Putintseva, and Anna Danilina. The participation of Elena Rybakina, who suffered an Achilles injury in Cincinnati, is still in question. Elena has arrived in New York but is not training yet and has already withdrawn from the mixed doubles.
However, under certain conditions, even without playing a single match at the American major, Rybakina could become the world No. 1. For that to happen, US Open 2026 must not be won by Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula, or Coco Gauff. If any other player wins in New York, Elena will top the world rankings for the first time.
The US Open is an annual Grand Slam tennis tournament on hard courts and the last of the four majors in the calendar year.
Traditionally, the US Open begins on the last Monday of August. For the second consecutive year, the tournament starts a week earlier due to the rescheduled mixed doubles event. US Open 2026 will take place from August 23 to September 13. The total prize money is $108 million, a record for the majors.
The tournament was first held in August 1881. In addition to the five main draws, the tournament features competitions for veterans, juniors, and wheelchair tennis players. Since 1978, matches have been played at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, New York.
The defending champions in the main draws are Spain's Carlos Alcaraz and the aforementioned Sabalenko.