Andy Roddick has suggested Elena Rybakina would not be competing at the US Open if the world No 1 ranking were not within reach.

The second seed advanced to round two on Tuesday with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over 17-year-old wildcard Thea Frodin, but Roddick remains unconvinced that all is well after Rybakina withdrew from the Cincinnati Open last month because of an Achilles tendon problem.

The 2003 US Open champion, speaking on the latest episode of Served, felt Rybakina’s movement looked restricted against the American, even though her striking through the ball remained outstanding.

He said on the latest episode of Served, “ Rybakina, it was strange. She hit the ball amazingly well, was kind of not moving for balls. I think she’s hurt.

“She would like bleed to the corners and then like not urgently move in, right? There were these little things where she was kind of protecting.

“So I don’t know where she’s at. She hit the ball perfectly, like served and returned. It was unbelievable. Maybe she’s freed up because she knows she can’t… the biggest gift you can give a tennis player is clarity. Like even if she’s injured, she knows she has to do X, Y, and Z to even win it all.

“I don’t think she’s completely healthy, though. It seemed like there was a conscious choice not to like make quick bursts. The only chance she had and she executed it perfectly was ball striking. Middle of the court, try to hit a winner.”

Rybakina still had to work through a competitive effort from Frodin, who was 12 when she became Serena Williams’ body double in the 2021 King Richard biopic.

Even so, the result did little to change the bigger picture. Rybakina will take the No 1 ranking if she reaches the semi-finals in Flushing Meadows. If she falls short of that target, Aryna Sabalenka, Mirra Andreeva, Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff remain in contention to finish the tournament atop the rankings.

That possibility, Roddick believes, is a major reason she is still in New York.

“I also don’t think she’d be playing this tournament if she was like seven in the world,” he added. “I think she wants that number one ranking and rightfully so, like you live with it forever, right? Can’t go much higher than that.”

Rybakina has said she feels “okay” and is due next to face Spaniard Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, who is currently ranked 92nd but has a career-best position of 40.

Alexander Zverev described his opening-round US Open victory over Lorenzo Sonego as an “incredible battle” after outlasting the Italian in a match that stretched close to five hours.

The top seed arrived in New York having won only two matches across the Masters 1000 events in Montreal and Cincinnati, and when he fell two sets to one behind, the contest appeared to be slipping away. Instead, the German responded with the kind of fight that carried him through a punishing five-setter, recovering to win 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7), 7-5, 6-4 in four hours and 53 minutes. The match ended at 1.55am on Wednesday.

Zverev now holds a 7-0 record against Sonego, but the scoreline did not reflect how difficult the first-round challenge was. Afterward, he was clear about both the scale of the effort and the value of coming through it.

He said on court, “I’m just happy I won. That’s it. Incredible battle. A lot of ups and downs. Nearly five hours for a first round. I think this is the longest first-round match I’ve ever played in my life. So credit to him, he played amazing tennis today. He would have beaten a lot of players for sure, but I’m happy to be through.”

This was Zverev’s second-longest match at a Grand Slam, behind only his five hour, 27 minute Australian Open semi-final loss to Carlos Alcaraz in January.

Rather than seeing the ordeal as a setback, Zverev said it was exactly the kind of contest he needed after a difficult spell. Ahead of a second-round meeting with Quentin Halys, against whom he leads 2-0, he also praised Sonego, who has dropped to 85th in the rankings and owns an 11-14 record this year.

He said, via Christian’s Court, “I think he’s an incredible player who struggled this year, and it’s as simple as that sometimes. Today he played like he normally plays, and he’s an amazing tennis player.

“For me has an amazing serve, amazing forehand. He can return so quickly. I would say I would have one of the fastest second serves on tour, and he was attacking it all the time. So he played amazing. I have to give credit to him, but yeah, I’m just happy that in the end I managed to win.

“I think there’s definitely room for improvement. Funnily enough, I think I missed a few more backhands than I usually do. That’s something that doesn’t happen very often. But definitely something that maybe I can adjust a little bit and hopefully moving forward it will be better.

“Overall, I think it was a great, tough battle, and I think it was a match that I needed after the last couple of weeks.”

Alex Eala opened her US Open run with a composed first-round win over American Mary Stoiana on Tuesday, moving through in straight sets and showing little sign of tension on one of the biggest stages in the sport.

Seeded 17th, the 21-year-old entered the tournament with significant attention on her, yet delivered a polished 6-1, 6-2 result at Louis Armstrong Stadium. Stoiana, 23 and ranked a career-high No. 113, could not match the Filipina’s level, even with a lively crowd behind the home player.

Eala’s serve has been a frequent talking point during her rise in recent months, but she handled it well under the lights. She won 28 of her 44 first serves in the night session, a solid return in a match that allowed her to settle quickly into the tournament.

Her next challenge comes in round two against Ukrainian Oleksandra Oliynykova. The pair met in Strasbourg in May, when Eala fell in a tight three-set match, and she will now try to reverse that result.

After the victory, Eala spoke about the level she produced, the atmosphere inside the main stadium, and the shift in expectations that has come with her recent improvement. She also addressed the nerves that can accompany a first-round Slam match and the importance of staying focused amid a loud and energetic setting.

On her serving performance, Eala said: “I think I served pretty well.” She added that the serve remains “a constant effort and constant work and trying to improve.”

Looking ahead to the tournament, she said her aim is to keep producing matches at the level she believes she can sustain, while continuing the same aggressive approach that helped her open the event so strongly. The fans, meanwhile, continue to make an impression. As she put it, “They do still surprise me. Yes, they do. The fans are very creative and I love to see it. I thought it was super cute. They just make my day.”