Kalinina Packed Her Racket at the Start of US Open 2026: Sensational Loss to a Qualifier and Fifth Straight Major First-Round Exit

Ukraine's No. 5 and the world's No. 51, Angelina Kalinina, ended her run at the 2026 US Open after just the opening match. The home player suffered a stunning defeat to Japan's Himeno Sakatsume, who had fought her way into the main draw through qualifying, extending her dismal streak of losses at Grand Slam tournaments. This is reported by Sport RBC.UA, citing the match result.

Match progression: an early break and four straight games for the Japanese

The final score in New York was 3:6, 3:6 in favor of Himeno Sakatsume (world No. 144). The match began with a break by Kalinina, but after a successful opening game the Ukrainian gave away four consecutive points, which effectively decided the first set. In the second set the Japanese player kept the initiative and sealed a confident win in 1 hour 23 minutes. The athlete's emotional state after the final point — hand to her face, tears in her eyes — became one of the most striking images of the tournament's opening day.

Fifth straight first-round loss at the majors

This defeat marked Angelina Kalinina's fifth consecutive loss in the first round of the main draw at Grand Slam events. Such a slump is a first in the player's career: in 2026 she has yet to win a single match in the main draw of a Grand Slam. For the world's No. 51, who has been a consistent top-100 player in recent seasons, this streak serves as a serious signal that her preparation and tactics on hard courts need to be rethought.

The Ukrainian team at US Open 2026: who is still in the fight

Kalinina became the second Ukrainian woman to leave US Open 2026 at the start: Daria Yastremska had already ended her run earlier. Meanwhile, Marta Kostyuk and Elina Svitolina continue their battle on New York's hard courts, and the main burden of Ukrainian women's tennis at this stage of the season now rests on their shoulders.

Context: not just the Ukrainians — Novak Djokovic also went out at the start

It is worth noting that US Open 2026 has been particularly rich in first-round upsets. Novak Djokovic had already been eliminated, losing at the start of a Grand Slam for the first time in 20 years. The combination of such results underscores that the opening round of this major has been one of the most unpredictable in recent years, with early favorites and high seeds falling en masse to qualifiers and players outside the top 100.