British tennis players Harriet Dart and Fran Jones both secured opening-round victories in their attempts to reach the US Open singles main draw in New York.
Dart, a two-time US Open second-round competitor, defeated American teenager Jordyn Hazelitt 6-0 6-7 (1-7) 6-1 in the first round of qualifying. She will next encounter another American 16-year-old, Kristina Penickova, in her bid to advance further.
Jones, who qualified for the US Open for the first time in 2025, progressed past Italy's Nuria Brancaccio with a 6-3 6-4 victory. According to the Lawn Tennis Association, Jones entered the women's qualifying draw as the third seed following consecutive WTA 125 titles in Rome and Palermo. She will face Germany's Mona Barthel in the second qualifying round.
The qualifying tournament runs from 24 to 27 August, with 128 players competing for just 16 main-draw places in the women's singles draw.
Other British results
Jodie Burrage's qualifying campaign ended in disappointment as she fell to Spain's Guiomar Maristany 7-6 (7-1) 6-4. In the men's event, Henry Searle was eliminated 6-1 6-2 by American teenager Michael Antonius.
Antonius will progress to face former US Open finalist Kei Nishikori in the second qualifying round. The 36-year-old Japanese player advanced with a 6-1 2-6 6-2 victory over Austria's Sebastian Ofner.
Former US Open semi-finalist Grigor Dimitrov moved through to his second qualifying match after defeating Italy's Lorenzo Giustino 6-0 6-3. He will next play Kazakhstan's Timofey Skatov.
In the women's draw, 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu progressed with a commanding 6-1 6-2 win against Dutch player Eva Vedder.
Watson's progress and upcoming matches
Heather Watson has kept her main-draw hopes alive with a strong performance in qualifying. According to Yahoo Sports, Watson defeated Claire Liu 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 in a recent qualifying match, maintaining her advancement through the tournament. Her next qualifying fixture is scheduled against Spain's Angela Fita Boluda on 26 August 2026.
In the men's draw, British players Jacob Fearnley, Toby Samuel, Billy Harris, Harry Wendelken and Jack Pinnington Jones all return to action in their pursuit of reaching the Flushing Meadows main draw. Players must win three qualifying rounds to secure a place in the singles main draw, which begins on Sunday.
Fery's warm-up success
Britain's Arthur Fery used the Winston-Salem Open as preparation for the US Open, securing a 6-1 7-5 victory over Cruz Hewitt. Playing only his third match since reaching the Wimbledon semi-finals, Fery recovered from 4-1 down in the second set to claim victory. As the fourth seed at Winston-Salem, he will face either Czech player Tomas Machac or Dutch qualifier Mees Rottgering in his next match.
