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To some players, facing seven match points would be a daunting task. Tim van Rijthoven, however, has confronted much worse.

The Dutchman, who saved seven match points on Monday and rallied from two sets down to stun Zhang Zhizhen at the US Open, is enjoying the best year of his career. But it has been far from easy for the 25-year-old to get to this point.

Going through the list of injuries van Rijthoven has suffered since turning pro in 2015 takes almost as long as an interview itself.

“When I was 18, I had a golfer’s elbow. It hurt when I was hitting serves, forehand volleys and smashes, so I couldn’t play a match,” van Rijthoven said. “It took me about a year to recover from that and that was my first year as a pro.”

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There was no easing in gently for Jannik Sinner on Tuesday at the US Open. The 11th seed was forced to work overtime to see off the resilient Daniel Altmaier in a five-set epic in the first round at the hard-court Grand Slam in New York.

The Italian prevailed 5-7, 6-2, 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 against the World No. 93 in the pair’s first ATP Head2Head meeting. Sinner appeared to have taken control of the three-hour, 35-minute encounter after easing to the second and third sets with some typically forceful baseline hitting, but tournament debutant Altmaier enjoyed a fourth-set resurgence to push the six-time tour-titlist the distance.

“It’s very tough, obviously, playing the first round in every tournament, and especially here where I think I can play well,” said Sinner in his on-court interview. “I had moments where I played well and I had moments where I could play better, but [in the] first round it’s obviously a very tough one.”

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Despite the one-sided nature of the fifth-set scoreline, it was Sinner who had been in early trouble in the decider as the 21-year-old recovered 0/40 for a crucial hold of serve at 1-1. He then secured an immediate break for a 3-1 lead after coming out on top in a stunning break point during which incredible defence from both players had the Louis Armstrong Stadium crowd on their feet.

Benjamin Bonzi has a big opportunity on Wednesday evening in the second round of the US Open, where he will play Nick Kyrgios.

Like Kyrgios, Bonzi enjoys video games. ATPTour.com caught up with the Frenchman to discuss his favourite games, e-sports and basketball. It is safe to say Bonzi and Kyrgios will not agree on their favourite team!

Tell us about your love of video games. When did you start playing, and what are some of the earliest games you remember playing?
I started around maybe 10 or 11 when my parents bought me the Game Boy. I started with that. This is pretty old, but I remember this. I played a lot of Pokemon on this one, like every kid. I think Pikachu is the best. I liked it.

Now this is different. Now we have PlayStation. This is not the same games, but I used to play a lot.

Of course you played a lot of tennis as a kid, but was it nice to have other hobbies like playing video games to not only focus on tennis?
I think it’s important not to be focussed too much on tennis. We have a lot of hours on the tennis court. Then we have fitness and everything. We have maybe five, six, seven hours of focus on tennis every day and at a moment you have to disconnect from it, just try to relax, try to chill and there is music, video games, TV, whatever. But you have to disconnect from tennis.

Leading an entertaining US Open matchup against Sebastian Baez 7-5, 7-5, 2-0 on Tuesday, Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the second round at the final Grand Slam of the year when his opponent retired due to a leg injury.

The 19-year-old Spaniard had prevailed in two scintillating sets on Arthur Ashe Stadium against the World No. 37 Baez. Both players produced plenty of high-quality all-court tennis, but it was the 2021 quarter-finalist Alcaraz who had found something extra to clinch a crucial break of serve in the 12th game of both sets.

“No one wants to see the end of a match like this,” said Alcaraz in his on-court interview. “I think both players don’t deserve the end like this, but I just say that Sebastian is a great player. He fights until the last ball, so he decided the best thing.”

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The first two sets had been a showcase of two of the biggest-hitting young talents on the ATP Tour. Both Alcaraz and 21-year-old Baez struck the ball crisply from the baseline, but they also demonstrated plenty of variety in stifling conditions in New York. Particularly in the second set, Baez used his lob to good effect to manoeuvre Alcaraz around the court as he broke for a 4-3 lead, but Alcaraz’s trademark retrieving helped him recover to take the set 7-5.

Cameron Norrie wasted no time bringing his impressive 2022 form to the US Open on Tuesday, when the sixth seed raced past Benoit Paire 6-0, 7-6(1), 6-0 to reach the second round in New York in style.

Norrie claimed the first and third sets of his second tour-level meeting with Paire in just 18 minutes and 15 minutes, respectively, as his consistency overwhelmed his opponent. He also held firm in a far tighter second set during which former World No. 18 Paire let slip the opportunity to level the first-round match when serving at 5-3.

Norrie fired 24 winners, including nine aces, to capitalise on a wayward performance by Paire, who reached the fourth round in New York in 2015. The win represented a comprehensive start for the Briton as he seeks to back up his run to his maiden Grand Slam semi-final at Wimbledon in July.

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The 27-year-old Norrie has pedigree on American hard courts. The former Texas Christian University Horned Frog lifted his maiden ATP Masters 1000 trophy in Indian Wells in 2021 and also claimed the title in Delray Beach in February. Alongside his Wimbledon run, those triumphs have headlined a stellar 2022 for the Briton, who improved his season-record to 42-19 with Tuesday’s win.

The bottom half of the US Open draw kicks into gear on Tuesday in New York, where Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz are among the stars in first-round action.

ATPTour.com looks at five things to watch on Day 2 at Flushing Meadows.

View Schedule | View Singles Draw

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1) Nadal Returns To NYC: The last time Nadal competed on Arthur Ashe stadium in 2019, he defeated Daniil Medvedev in five sets to clinch his fourth US Open crown. The Spaniard’s first task after three years away is a first-round meeting against 21-year-old Rinky Hijikata, the Australian wild card making his Grand Slam debut.

Rinky Hijikata had just landed in New York Thursday when the messages started lighting up his phone.

“The first one was from my manager, Kelly [Wolf], and she said something along the lines of ‘Welcome to the Big House!’” Hijikata told ATPTour.com. “There was no real context, so I really didn’t know what she was talking about. I thought maybe she was saying ‘Welcome to New York’.

“I got a few others like ‘I can’t believe your draw!’ so that’s when I went and had a look. Pretty exciting.”

When he called up the US Open draw he found his name on Line 127, one above second seed and 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal. The context was no longer lacking.

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When the US Open draw was released, one of the matches that stood out was a clash between Nick Kyrgios and close friend Thanasi Kokkinakis. Kyrgios made sure the blockbuster matchup did not turn into an epic battle.

The 23rd seed defeated Kokkinakis 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(4) to reach the second round at Flushing Meadows. He will play Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi for a place in the third round.

"Probably one of the most uncomfortable matches I've played in my career. I feel like we both had a game plan. We know our games so well. From the get-go, I was trying to block out his body and just play the tennis ball," Kyrgios said. "I was really trying not to look at him at all. I felt like that kind of helped me."

Kyrgios has shown the best form of his career in recent months, reaching the Wimbledon final, winning the Washington title and defeating World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev in Montreal. He maintained that form inside Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday evening following Serena Williams' match, earning his 200th tour-level win after two hours and one minute.

"To play one of probably my best friends after Serena's possible last match, with a record-breaking attendance, it's insane," Kyrgios said. "A night I'm never going to forget. My 200th win as well. A couple accolades today. It was good."

As if a shock first-round exit at the US Open wasn’t painful enough, Stefanos Tsitsipas was also left ruing his lost shot at World No. 1 in the wake of his four-set defeat to Colombian qualifier Daniel Elahi Galan on Monday night.

The Greek was one of five players who had the opportunity at Flushing Meadows to hold the No. 1 Pepperstone ATP Ranking at the end of the tournament, but that dream is now gone.

“I was very motivated and pumped before the US Open started because I knew I could use this tournament to get closer to the No. 1 spot,” Tsitsipas said. “It would be very weird and very unusual if it didn’t cross my mind, because this is something I wanted since I was a kid and I know this is my chance now to step it up.

“It just didn’t go as planned. Sometimes you just need to let it go, you don’t need to overthink it, you don’t need to push yourself too hard but at the same time it’s difficult because there’s this open opportunity right in front of you, you don’t want to mess it up, you don’t want to waste it.

“My chances, I guess, are a bit smaller. The margin is not as thin as it used to be now after the US Open but I’m still going to try and add points to my ranking, as much as I can until the end of the year, I really want to perhaps finish in the Top 3… more opportunities ahead.”

Stefanos Tsitsipas appeared poised to escape a significant scare on Monday at the US Open, but qualifier Daniel Elahi Galan refused to let him slip from his grasp.

The Colombian earned the biggest win of his career inside Louis Armstrong Stadium, where he stunned the fourth seed 6-0, 6-1, 3-6, 7-5 behind 41 winners to reach the second round at Flushing Meadows. The World No. 94 converted his ninth match point after two hours and 48 minutes on his main draw debut at the season’s final major.

"He dominated the match," Tsitsipas admitted. "I just couldn't get into it."

The 26-year-old, who did not lose a set in qualifying, won the first 11 games of the match against Tsitsipas with a stunning display of aggression. The Greek had his right forearm massaged several times, and it took until 54 minutes into the clash for him to win a game.

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American qualifier Brandon Holt claimed a statement win in his main-draw Grand Slam debut Monday night at the US Open, upsetting 10th-seeded countryman Taylor Fritz 6-7(3), 7-6(1), 6-3, 6-4 to charge into the second round at Flushing Meadows.

Holt, 24, the son of two-time US Open champion Tracy Austin, had not won a Tour-level match coming into the tournament. The World No. 303 had to win through qualifying at the ATP Challenger Tour level in Chicago in his final tournament before playing US Open qualifying.

The defeat is a blow to Fritz's hopes of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals in November. The American is currently 10th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race to Turin and was hoping for a deep run at Flushing Meadows to move into the Top 8.

Holt turned professional in 2020 after the Covid-19 pandemic began. Last year, Holt began to feel pain in his hand, which troubled him for months. After several doctor visits, he learned an osteoid osteoma, an extra bone growing on his fourth metacarpal.

The American had two options to deal with it, and chose the more invasive, but safer option. After undergoing the operation in August, Holt did not play the rest of 2021.

Felix Auger-Aliassime has a history of raising his game at the US Open, and the sixth seed needed to do just that to hold off Swiss qualifier Alexander Ritschard in the first round at Flushing Meadows on Monday.

Auger-Aliassime prevailed 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in an absorbing encounter that featured some devastating baseline hitting from both players. Despite some inspired shotmaking from Ritschard, the Canadian was more clinical at big moments, converting four from eight break point opportunities to complete a hard-earned three-hour, four-minute win.

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The boys’ singles champion at Flushing Meadows in 2016, Auger-Aliassime reached his maiden Grand Slam semi-final in New York a year ago. He showed flashes of the game that powered that run against Ritschard, with some big serving and trademark heavy striking off his forehand wing. Those weapons were particularly effective under pressure, as the 22-year-old saved 10 from 12 break points he faced.

The sixth seed appeared in control after claiming the solitary break in both the first and second sets on Grandstand, where both he and Ritschard predominately tried to dictate proceedings from deep. Despite Ritschard’s clean hitting taking the Swiss to the third set, the 2021 semi-finalist accelerated to an unassailable 5-1 lead in the fourth as he improved to 37-20 for the 2022 season.

J.J. Wolf gave the American charge at this year’s US Open a stunning start on Monday afternoon, when the World No. 87 cruised past 16th seed Roberto Bautista Agut to reach the second round at Flushing Meadows.

The 23-year-old wild card produced a dominant serving performance in a 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 victory, firing 14 aces and winning 88 per cent (50/57) of points behind his first delivery against Bautista Agut.

Wolf has made good progress this season. He broke the Top 100 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the first time on 1 August and celebrated that achievement by reaching his maiden tour-level quarter-final in Washington that same week.

The former Ohio State Buckeye reached the third round in New York on main-draw debut in 2020. He will attempt to match that run against Alejandro Tabilo in the second round this year, after the Chilean defeated Kamil Majchrzak 6-1, 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-1.

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All eyes are on Serena Williams as she begins her final US Open on Monday night against Danka Kovinic. In the leadup to the season’s final Grand Slam, several stars have paid tribute to the legendary WTA star, including Rafael Nadal, Daniil Medvedev, Andy Murray and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Nadal has spoken about Williams several times in recent weeks and has been clear how important she has been within and beyond the tennis world.

“[She is a] huge ambassador that [broke] records. I think as an athlete… [she] has been one of the most important athletes in the history of the sport,” Nadal said. “So from the tennis perspective, it's a big loss that she is leaving. But on the other hand, she deserved all the things that she achieved because she worked enough to make that happen for such a long time, with a lot of determination, dedication, discipline. If not, all of this is impossible.”

Nadal added that he has one wish for when Williams’ career is over.

“I just believe and hope that if she is able to stay around the sport in some way, going to be great for our sport because I always believe that the sports are bigger when the legends of our sport are around the sport,” Nadal said. “And she's a legend. In some way I hope she will continue being involved in the world of tennis.”

Marin Cilic arrives at the US Open holding fond memories, having soared to his maiden Grand Slam title in New York in 2014.

The Croatian, who defeated Roger Federer en route to the trophy eight years ago, will be aiming to build on recent third-round results in Montreal and Cincinnati as he aims to replicate his dream 2014 run this year at the hard-court major.

Ahead of his opening match against Maximilian Marterer, ATPTour.com caught up with Cilic’s coach Ivan Cinkus to learn more about their relationship, the 33-year-old’s season, his upcoming aims and much more.

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Marin is having another great season, how happy have you been with his performances?
Marin is doing great. Reached the fourth round in Australia and semi-finals in his first two tournaments. He is improving his game. He played really well on the clay. Ok, he lost to Sascha Zverev in Madrid, but he played well and it built up his confidence and it helped him at Roland Garros. He played really well in Paris and reached the semis. It is really good.

Two college standouts were among a sweep of four first-time winners in the ATP Challenger Tour last week. Gabriel Diallo made the best possible use of a wild card as a home hope in Canada, while Monaco's Valentin Vacherot advanced through qualifying to capture his maiden Challenger Tour title in Nonthaburi.

Diallo, a Montreal native, defeated China’s Juncheng Shang 7-5, 7-6(5) to capture the Les Championnats Banque Nationale de Granby.

“I’m super happy, it’s a feeling I’ve never experienced before. I’ve won matches and tournaments before, but this just feels different. I didn’t have any expectations coming into the tournament,” Diallo said.

The 20-year-old is the youngest Canadian champion on the Challenger Tour since Felix Auger-Aliassime won the Tashkent Challenger in 2018.

Currently a senior at the University of Kentucky, Diallo will not be able to celebrate the biggest title of his career for long. He will instead fly back to the United States for his Monday afternoon lecture.

Former World No. 1 Andy Murray maintained his strong first-round record at the US Open on Monday, when he downed 24th seed Francisco Cerundolo 7-5, 6-3, 6-3.

The Scot, who lifted the trophy in New York in 2012, fired his backhand through the court, while he recovered from squandering a 5-2 lead in the first set to eventually advance after two hours and 41 minutes.

"It was very tricky conditions today," Murray said in his on-court interview. "Very humid and hot. I am very happy with the way I got through that one, it was not easy. He has had a brilliant year this year and I knew I had to play well and I did in the important moments."

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Murray is up six spots to No. 45 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings with his victory and has improved to 15-1 in first-round matches at the US Open. The 35-year-old will next face Australian John Millman or American wild card Emilio Nava. Murray coached by Ivan Lendl when he captured his maiden Grand Slam title in New York 10 years ago. The Czech coach was courtside during Murray's victory against Cerundolo.

Reigning champion Daniil Medvedev started his US Open title defence with victory Monday, cruising past American Stefan Kozlov 6-2, 6-4, 6-0 to reach the second round in New York.

The top seed, who defeated Novak Djokovic to lift his maiden major title in Flushing Meadows last year, quickly found his range on the hard courts. He struck his flat groundstrokes with consistency as he overpowered Kozlov to advance after two hours and one minute in their first ATP Head2Head meeting.

The 26-year-old now holds a standout 21-4 record at the final Grand Slam of the year. The 14-time tour-level champion next plays Quentin Halys or Arthur Rinderknech as he looks to continue his quest to become the first player to win consecutive US Open titles since Roger Federer lifted the trophy for five consecutive years from 2004-08.

“I am pleased to win. Not easy conditions. Pretty hot and humid here,” Medvedev said in his on-court interview. “I was sweating a lot but I thought there were some good points. I managed to be pretty solid and I thought the serve was key today. I am happy to go through to the second round.”

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#NextGenATP star Jiri Lehecka has caught himself by surprise this season. In February, the 20-year-old made the Rotterdam semi-finals as a qualifier and broke into the Top 100 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, a mark that Lehecka couldn’t quite believe.

“The guy who did the post-match interview came to me and said, ‘Congrats! With this win, you achieved the Top 100!’ and I was like, ‘Woah, when? Unbelievable!’” Lehecka recalled.

The Czech No. 1 has continued to find success in 2022. Now an entrenched member of the ATP Tour and sixth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Milan, Lehecka still cites his roots on the ATP Challenger Tour as the foundation of his success, and even returned - with success - to the Challengers earlier this month.

Lehecka collected his third Challenger title three-weeks ago, when he defeated Spaniard Nicolas Alvarez Varona 6-4, 6-4 to win the Liberec Challenger in front of a home crowd.

“The fans there were just unbelievable,” Lehecka said. “The way they supported me the whole tournament, especially in the semi-final and final was unbelievable. I’m so glad I got this experience this year to play in front of my home crowd.”

Adrian Mannarino has jumped back into the Top 50 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings following his title run at the Winston-Salem Open. ATPTour.com looks at the movers of the week, as of Monday, 29 August.

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No. 45 Adrian Mannarino, +20
The Frenchman has jumped to No. 45 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings after he captured his second tour-level trophy in Winston-Salem. The 34-year-old, who saved four match points in his first-round match, did not drop another set all week to become the older champion in the tournament’s history and its first French winner. Read Winston-Salem Final Report & Watch Highlights.

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No. 64 Laslo Djere, +25
The 27-year-old has soared 25 spots to No. 64 after he reached his first tour-level final of the season in Winston-Salem. The Serbian, who is a two-time ATP Tour champion, advanced in deciding sets in his first four matches before he downed Marc-Andrea Huesler in straight sets in the semi-finals. It was Djere’s first tour-level event since Umag in late July.