Serena Williams roared into the third round of the US Open on Wednesday, overpowering second seed Anett Kontaveit with a battling performance to extend her Grand Slam singles career in dramatic fashion.

Emma Raducanu's U.S. Open title defence ended at the first hurdle on Tuesday while Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina and twice U.S. Open winner Naomi Osaka were also ousted in the opening round.

After missing the entire North American hardcourt season, American Danielle Collins showed no signs of rust battling past twice U.S. Open champions Naomi Osaka 7-6(5) 6-3 on Tuesday and into the second round at Flushing Meadows.

Defending champion Emma Raducanu of Britain was sent crashing out of the US Open in the first round on Tuesday, losing in straight sets to France's Alize Cornet.

Four-time champion Rafael Nadal overcame dropping the first set to defeat Australian wildcard Rinky Hijikata at the US Open first round on Tuesday.

Daniil Medevedev launched the defence of his US Open crown on Monday with a straight sets victory over lowly ranked American Stefan Kozlov.

Colombian qualifier Daniel Galan stunned fourth-seeded Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-0, 6-1, 3-6, 7-5 in an epic first-round showdown at the U.S. Open on Monday, winning the affair on the ninth match point.

Serena Williams said she is "staying vague" over her expected retirement from tennis after reaching the US Open second round on Monday.

After a glittering 27-year professional career in which she became one of the greatest players of all time, Serena Williams is preparing to bid farewell to tennis at the major where it all began.

A talented men's field is set for the 2022 U.S. Open, beginning on Monday. Flushing Meadows hosts the event with Rafael Nadal operating as the headline-grabbing player on the men's side.

Serena Williams held strong views on tennis, society as well as her rivals.

Rafael Nadal targets a fifth US Open and 23rd Grand Slam title in New York from next week with his path to the title no longer blocked by Novak Djokovic, whose refusal to get vaccinated has ruled him out of a second major this year.

Roger Federer has not played competitive tennis in more than a year and, like his legion of fans, Rafa Nadal also cannot wait for the Swiss great to return to action next month.

Rafa Nadal said it was sad news that his great rival Novak Djokovic will be missing from the U.S. Open, adding that the absence of a player of the Serbian's calibre was an important miss for the hardcourt Grand Slam.

Top seed Daniil Medvedev will open his U.S. Open title defence onMonday against American Stefan Kozlov but faces major hurdles on the path to a second Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows, including in-form Australian Nick Kyrgios.

Former tennis world number one Novak Djokovic said on Thursday that he will not be able to travel to New York to compete at the U.S. Open, the last Grand Slam of the year that begins next week.

Former women's world number one Angelique Kerber announced on Wednesday that she is pregnant and has withdrawn from next week's US Open joking "two against one just isn't a fair competition."

Serena Williams may have planned retirement her way but the American must be prepared to accept the goodbyes as well as the losses and exit the stage with grace, tennis great Martina Navratilova has told Reuters.

Top-ranked Daniil Medvedev committed 11 double-faults in falling to Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-6 (8/6), 3-6, 6-3 in Sunday's semi-finals of the ATP and WTA Cincinnati Masters.

A local breakfast staple will be on the menu when Emma Raducanu returns to New York next week to begin preparations for defending her US Open title.