NEW YORK — No. 3 seed Coco Gauff easily defeated France’s Varvara Gracheva with a score of 6-2, 6-0 on Monday, a comfortable win that stands out after a tough few months for her.

Gauff has faced challenges throughout the summer leading up to her U.S. Open title defense.

Following an early exit at the Paris Olympics, her performances in Canada and Cincinnati were not up to par, where she too was defending a title. While she is certainly capable of advancing deep in the tournament, the anticipation for this final Grand Slam of the season is much lower compared to last year when she entered as a rising star in women’s tennis searching for her first major title.

“A couple days ago, someone commented on my TikTok saying, ‘Why stress yourself out? You’ve won literally and figuratively,’” Gauff shared at her pre-tournament press conference. “That perspective made me realize that I shouldn’t stress over something I’ve already achieved. I want to add to that, whether it happens here in two weeks or next year.”

Looking ahead, Gauff’s match against Gracheva could have been tricky on paper, but she managed to play well enough to make it an easy win, continuing her journey to face Germany’s Tatjana Maria, ranked No. 99 in the world, in the second round.

Here are more highlights from a bustling opening day of the U.S. Open:

Match of the Day

A few hours into the clash between American Chris Eubanks and France’s Arthur Rinderknech, it was evident that it would be a thrilling encounter. On Court 11, the crowd was energetically chanting “USA! USA!” throughout the match, creating an electric atmosphere as momentum shifted between both players. The audience did their utmost to rally Eubanks to victory.

Ultimately, after 3 hours and 49 minutes, Rinderknech secured the win with a final score of 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (10-8).

The match was closely contested, with Eubanks, known for his powerful serves, winning 77% of the points when he made a first serve, while Rinderknech managed to win 80% of those points. Minor margins like these made all the difference in a match decided by just a few points.

Biggest Collapse

Sloane Stephens, the 2017 champion, no longer frequently appears on center court. While she still attracts fans and can beat top opponents on a good day, her ranking has dropped to No. 62, suggesting she plays less than before.

It was surprising for her to be given a spot on Arthur Ashe Stadium to kick off the night session against No. 56 Clara Burel. Speculation circulated online about a potential retirement announcement tied to the match, but nothing was confirmed as Stephens exited the court promptly and did not address the media afterward.

Stephens’ match, however, will be remembered for the wrong reasons. At one point, she was leading 6-0, 3-0, but ultimately fell to Burel, who made a stunning comeback to win 0-6, 7-5, 7-5.

Stephens had multiple chances to finish the match, failing to serve out the second set at 5-4 and unable to secure break points at 2-1 or 4-3 in the third set, along with having the match on her racket at 5-4. This marks the third time in her last six U.S. Opens that she has been eliminated in the first round, and this particular loss is likely to sting more than the others.

Biggest Upset

No. 15 seed Holger Rune, who recently reached the semifinals in Cincinnati, played poorly against American Brandon Nakashima and was handily defeated in straight sets.

Nakashima, a 23-year-old from San Diego holding the No. 50 ranking, breezed through with scores of 6-2, 6-1, 6-4.

While Nakashima played decently, Rune’s performance was shocking, showing just 19 winners compared to 30 unforced errors, having only 39% of first serves in play, and was 0-of-6 on break points.

Once considered among the young talents alongside Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, Rune concludes the 2024 Slam season with disappointing results: a second-round exit in Australia, fourth-round departures at the French Open and Wimbledon, and now this opening-round loss. He has a lot to reassess during the off-season.

Biggest Heartbreak

Reilly Opelka, towering at 6-foot-11, who previously achieved a career-high ranking of No. 17, was on the brink of forcing a fifth set against No. 18 seed Lorenzo Musetti when everything fell apart.

With a lead of 5-3 and 40-0 while serving in the fourth set, Opelka made several critical errors that brought the game back to deuce. This ultimately cost him as he dropped serve with a double fault. Musetti then seized the opportunity, winning 12 of the next 13 points to secure the match.

It’s understandable that Reilly Opelka, age 26, isn’t at peak performance yet. He is recognized as one of America’s promising talents but has just returned to the tour after two tough years plagued by injuries, including surgeries on his hip and wrist. Known for having one of the strongest serves in tennis, Opelka made his comeback post-Wimbledon, managing to win five out of his last ten matches. He had a significant opportunity on Monday to pull off an upset but lost momentum in a frustrating fashion, failing to close out the fourth set.

Farewell Ceremonies

Although Dominic Thiem and Diego Schwartzman will play additional matches before officially retiring, the tournament held brief ceremonies to honor them as they participated in their last U.S. Opens. Thiem, who won the title in 2020, was defeated by No. 13 seed Ben Shelton with a score of 6-4, 6-2, 6-2, while Schwartzman struggled against Gael Monfils after initially claiming the first set.

Schwartzman has gained a loyal fan base over the years as one of the shorter players on the circuit, generously listed at 5-foot-7 by the ATP. While he never truly contended for a major championship, he maximized his abilities with several notable runs, including three deep runs at the French Open, two quarterfinals at the U.S. Open, and four ATP titles.

Sadly, Schwartzman’s performance has declined in recent seasons, resulting in a drop to No. 244 in the rankings. He plans to continue competing until February, when the tour arrives in his native Argentina. However, he described his 6-7, 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 loss on Grandstand court as a meaningful way to conclude his journey at a tournament that significantly shaped his career.

“My experience at the U.S. Open in 2017 was transformational; it was the first time I felt like I truly belonged as a top player, breaking into the top 30 for the first time, and my game improved significantly since then. It always felt fantastic to return here,” Schwartzman reflected. “I’m grateful for the support of the crowd throughout these years. Despite the struggles towards the end, my journey at the U.S. Open has been incredible, and I’ve cherished every moment.”

Key Matches on Tuesday

• No. 10 seed Jelena Ostapenko vs. two-time U.S. Open champion Naomi Osaka
• 2019 U.S. Open champion Bianca Andreescu vs. recent French and Wimbledon finalist Jasmine Paolini
• No. 14 seed Tommy Paul vs. Lorenzo Sonego, the winner of the Winston-Salem title on Sunday
• No. 19 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime vs. promising Czech player Jakub Mensik
• No. 24 seed Arthur Fils vs. 18-year-old American Learner Tien

Follow Dan Wolken on social media @DanWolken