The U.S. Open Has Seen Tears and Tirades In The First Week

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 28: Coco Gauff of the United States gets emotional after defeating Donna Vekic of Croatia in the second round on Day 5 of the US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 28, 2025 in New York City (Photo by Robert Prange/Getty Images)

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“Most people are in New York because they need evidence—in large quantities—of human expressiveness; and they need it not now and then, but every day. That is what they need,” wrote Bronx-born feminist writer Vivian Gornick. The U.S. Open has delivered on that front in the first week.

The troubled Alexander Zverev may have had “no feel” or expression in his shots, losing to Felix Auger-Aliassime on the first Saturday. Still, the essence of human spirit and despair spoke very loudly elsewhere. From Coco Gauff’s service breakdown to Ben Shelton’s shattered dreams, the crying game has been in full view. New York always has the last word in the majors, and the storylines have come thick and fast in its opening stanza.

This is the first Flushing Meadows campaign that has started on Sunday in the Open Era. The best films build up the narrative, and then hit the viewer with an emotional punch which is simultaneously left field and relatable. Even the much-derided Mixed Doubles, the trailer to the main event, carried an emotional resonance. Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu were the charismatic A-list Plastics, but Sar Errani and Andrea Vavassori’s true partnership overcame the glamorous singles invaders.

Ben Shelton was looking a mean outside bet to at least have a shot at Alcaraz in the last eight. Without saying it out loud, he was the man who could end the Stateside major curse that has been rolling for 22 years since Andy Roddick won at Flushing Meadows. The 22-year-old stole a miraculous, all-American hero set point against Adrian Mannarino and the crowd were up for it. This is NYC after all. They are pumped.

Then Shelton’s shoulder pinched. His face became ashen. It was the end of the road, win or lose on the night. Father Bryan had been cajoling the No. 6 seed to turn down the power, but then motioned towards his son to call off the hunt. It was like a wise old boxing trainer throwing the towel in the ring amid the relative chaos. Shelton said it was “The worst pain I’ve ever felt in my life.” It was the crowd’s pain too as he quietly sobbed on the loneliest chair out there.

Coco Gauff’s double fault disease was the ugly way of putting a W in the column. A good day at work can be messy and emotional. No matter how bad it gets in the office – and it has been getting very bad after Gauff’s 16 double faults against Jasmine Paolini in Cincinnati – the sports world isn’t played out behind closed doors with human resources. Professional pain in full view is an uneasy watch. At the same time, Gauff brought it into the mainstream by saying this is what happens to humans. With or without a racket, she’s vulnerable too.

Daniil Medvedev was the Mount Vesuvius waiting to erupt at the slams this year. Something has happened to the maverick Russian form-wise as he has failed to make it past the first round three times out of four. His epic stoking of the crowd against Benjamin Bonzi on match point down took a surefire routine defeat into the realms of five-star, five-set cinema. Unfortunately, the great comeback didn’t have a happy ending. Medvedev was in bits after the match, a bit like his racket.

Aryna Sabelenka has kept her feelings at a workable spirit level, but the Belarusian was pretty sure that Jelena Ostapenko’s outburst at the net with Taylor Townsend had something to do with the former’s personal issues. The Latvian, who lost to Townsend in three sets, insulted her rival with insults about class and education. It looked like a tetchy row between neighbors. Sabalenka predicted that Ostapenko would see she was in the wrong. The world No. 1 was right about that although the apology took three days to arrive in the post, and it wasn’t marked for the attention of Townsend.

When Andre Agassi was inducted into the International Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, he spoke movingly about how his sport could reflect those parts of life that all-comers could understand. “Tennis uses the language of life. Advantage, service, fault, break, love – the basic elements of tennis are those of everyday existence because every match is a life in miniature.” To see Gauff and Shelton live through the rollercoaster was agonizing and uplifting at the same time.

There are second chances and a second week that promises to test out the tear glands again. Osaka versus Gauff can’t pass by without some stirring of the soul. Meanwhile, the more deadpan Jessica Pegula summed it up succinctly. “It’s just that New York City tends to bring out just a lot of drama, I guess.” The number four seed knows the score as the U.S. Open closes the Grand Slam annual for 2025.