Kazakhstani tennis player Yulia Putintseva (84) advanced to the second round of the US Open 2026. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.

In the opening match, she secured a comeback victory over world No. 12 Belinda Bencic of Switzerland – 4:6, 7:5, 6:3.

The match lasted 2 hours and 51 minutes. Bencic took the first set 6:4, but Putintseva turned the tide in the second set. The Kazakhstani player clinched the long set 7:5 and forced a decider.

In the third set, Putintseva did not relinquish control. She made another crucial break and closed out the match 6:3, eliminating one of the seeded players in the first round.

One of the Kazakhstani's key advantages was her more consistent serve. Putintseva fired six aces, while Bencic had none. The Swiss player also committed nine double faults compared to four for her opponent.

The winners were close – 37:31 in Putintseva's favor. However, the Kazakhstani made 37 unforced errors, while the Swiss made 43. The total points won were 106:95.

In the second round, Putintseva will face China's Zheng Qinwen (121), who qualified for the main draw. In the first round, Zheng came back from a set down to defeat Kristina Lyutova (125) – 4:6, 6:3, 6:1.

Earlier, Kazakhstani players Elena Rybakina and Alexander Bublik also advanced to the second round of the US Open 2026. Rybakina defeated American Thea Froding – 6:3, 6:2, while Bublik overcame Jeffrey John Wolf – 6:4, 6:2, 3:6, 6:1. Alexander Shevchenko ended his campaign after a five-set loss to Dino Prižmić.

The US Open is an annual Grand Slam tennis tournament played on hard courts. It is the last of the four majors in the calendar year.

For the second consecutive year, the US Open, first held in August 1881, starts a week earlier due to the rescheduled mixed doubles event. The total prize money is $108 million – a record for the majors.

Since 1978, matches have been held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York.

The reigning men's champion is Spain's Carlos Alcaraz (3), who defeated Jannik Sinner in last year's final 6:2, 3:6, 6:1, 6:4. Incidentally, the Italian, world No. 1, withdrew from the US Open 2026 due to a knee injury.

In women's singles, the 2025 champion was Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka. In the final, she defeated Amanda Anisimova of the USA – 6:3, 7:6 (7:3).