Daniil Medvedev Beats Hugo Gaston to Reach US Open Round Two

Daniil Medvedev moved into the second round of the US Open on Sunday with a controlled 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 victory over French qualifier Hugo Gaston at Flushing Meadows.

The seventh-seeded former US Open champion required two hours and 14 minutes to complete the straight-sets win, making a serene start to his tournament a year after a dramatic first-round exit in New York. Medvedev said he was pleased with the level he produced after a difficult recent spell.

“Last couple of weeks were not easy, but you know how it is — sometimes you lose matches, sometimes you win,” Medvedev said in his on-court interview. “I’m happy that today I managed to produce a high level of tennis.”

Medvedev makes a strong start in New York

Medvedev took the opening set 6-4 before increasing his control in the second, which he won 6-2. He then closed out the match with another 6-4 set to secure his place in round two.

The result marked a positive response following his first-round loss to Martin Damm in Winston-Salem last week. During that defeat, Medvedev had been heard wondering whether he should leave tennis for pickleball, but his performance against Gaston offered a much calmer and more assured opening to the US Open.

“I felt like I did everything I wanted to do well,” Medvedev said. “I finished the match strong. I started the match strong. I’m really glad the way I played.”

For Medvedev, the straight-sets result matters after the turbulence surrounding his previous US Open appearance. His latest victory puts the focus back on his progress through the draw, with the former champion having avoided the extended contest and emotional scenes that accompanied his opening match at the tournament a year earlier.

Gaston entered the match as a qualifier, while Medvedev carried the status of seventh seed and former champion. The Russian delivered across all three sets, taking the match in 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 fashion and needing just over two hours to complete the job.

A calmer US Open return after last year’s exit

Medvedev’s 2025 US Open ended in a five-set first-round loss to France’s Benjamin Bonzi. That match was marked by a third-set incident in which a photographer mistakenly entered the court and chair umpire Greg Allensworth awarded Bonzi a first serve.

Medvedev complained strongly about the decision and urged the crowd to support him. After eventually losing the five-set contest, he smashed his racquet. The incident resulted in a $42,500 fine, and Medvedev subsequently split with his coach.

There was no such drama in his latest first-round match. Instead, Medvedev opened the 2026 US Open by winning the first set 6-4, dominating the second 6-2 and sealing the third 6-4 against Gaston.

His comments after the match underlined his satisfaction with both the beginning and end of the performance. Having arrived after an early defeat in Winston-Salem, Medvedev now has a straight-sets victory and a place in the second round at Flushing Meadows.