Wang Xinyu of China returns a shot against Emiliana Arango of Columbia during their women's singles first-round match on Day One of the 2026 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 30, 2026 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. Photo: VCG

China's Wang Xinyu and Wu Yibing kicked off their 2026 US Open campaign with straight-set victories on Sunday in New York. 

A total of six players from the Chinese mainland are competing in the singles main draws at this year's last Grand Slam US Open: Wang, Zhang Shuai, Wang Xiyu and Zheng Qinwen in the women's singles, and Shang Juncheng and Wu in the men's singles.

In the women's singles, 24-year-old Wang Xinyu said her strong serve was key to her 6-4, 6-2 victory over Emiliana Arango of Colombia.

"Before going onto the court today, I had a very clear game plan because I had played against this opponent before. My serve also gave me a lot of help," she noted. 

"I got a break right at the beginning of the match because I really wanted to create wider angles with my first two shots today. My opponent was positioned quite far behind the baseline, so even if I hit the ball very fast at times, it might not have been as effective. But once I opened up the angles, everything worked very well, including my volleys at the net," she said. 

Wang Xinyu's first-round win marked a solid and tactically disciplined performance, Liu Yu, a Beijing-based sports commentator, told the Global Times. 

The first set was relatively competitive, but Wang Xinyu did not allow it to become a prolonged battle. She is becoming increasingly reliable at getting through the opening rounds of major tournaments, Liu said. 

Wang Xinyu has now advanced past the first round of the US Open for the fourth time. Meanwhile, she has achieved another milestone by recording at least one main-draw win at all four Grand Slam tournaments in 2026. She reached the round of 16 at the Australian Open, while exiting in the second round at both the French Open and Wimbledon Championships.

Veteran Zhang Shuai, 37, was knocked out by 31st seed Leylah Fernandez of Canada 6-3, 6-2 on the same day.

In the men's singles, Wu overpowered Adam Walton of Australia 7-6, 6-2, 7-5, reaching the US Open second round for the third time in his career.

Wu did not dominate every aspect of the match, but he was better in the areas that mattered most: second-serve effectiveness, return pressure, break-point conversion and execution in decisive moments. Wu won 66 percent of points behind his second serve, compared with just 42 percent for Walton, Liu said. 

Wu hit 43 winners to Walton's 29 and made slightly fewer unforced errors than the Australian, according to the statistics of the match. 

In 2022, Wu began his US Open campaign in qualifying and won five consecutive matches to reach the third round, becoming the first Chinese mainland player to win a men's singles main-draw match at a Grand Slam and reach the last 32.

Zheng Qinwen, who suffered a dip in her form in 2026 following elbow surgery, had to win three consecutive matches to reach the main draw. "I hope to bring strong momentum into every match. As for the results, that's another matter. I think the process is very important," she said.