Kazakh tennis player Timofey Skatov (world No. 205) got off to a strong start in the qualifying rounds of the 2026 US Open, defeating Belgian Gilles-Arnaud Bailly (No. 240) 6:4, 6:2. The match lasted 1 hour and 33 minutes, according to infohub.kz.

In the first set, Skatov needed just one break in the third game, while in the second he broke his opponent's serve in the fifth and seventh games. The Kazakh fired four aces to his opponent's two, and did not commit a single double fault. Overall, Skatov won 70 points to Bailly's 54.

In the second round of qualifying, Skatov will face the winner of the match between Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov (No. 137) and Italian Lorenzo Giustino (No. 201).

For the 25-year-old from Petropavlovsk, this is his third attempt to reach the main draw of a Grand Slam in 2026. At Wimbledon, he fell just one win short.

In the main draw of the 2026 US Open, Kazakhstan is already represented by Alexander Bublik, Alexander Shevchenko, Yulia Putintseva, and Anna Danilina. The participation of Elena Rybakina, who injured her Achilles in Cincinnati, is still in question. Elena has arrived in New York but has not yet practiced and has already withdrawn from the mixed doubles event.

However, under certain conditions, even without playing a single match at the American major, Rybakina could become the world No. 1. For that to happen, the 2026 US Open must not be won by Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula, or Coco Gauff. If any other player wins in New York, Elena will top the world rankings for the first time.

The US Open is an annual Grand Slam tennis tournament played on hard courts and is the last of the four majors in the calendar year. Traditionally, the US Open begins on the last Monday of August. For the second consecutive year, the tournament starts a week earlier due to the rescheduled mixed doubles event. The 2026 US Open will run from August 23 to September 13. The total prize money of $108 million is a record for the majors.

The tournament was first held in August 1881. In addition to the five main events, the tournament also features veterans, juniors, and wheelchair tennis players. Since 1978, matches have been played at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, New York.

The defending champions in the main singles draws are Spain's Carlos Alcaraz and the aforementioned Sabalenka.