--- title: "Oliynikova reaches the US Open second round for the first time in her career and faces a top-20 opponent" description: "Ukrainian tennis player Alexandra Oliynikova beat American Rizz Brantmeier in the first round of the 2026 US Open and reached the second round of a major for the first time in her career. Her next opponent will be world No. 18 Alexandra Eala." date: 2026-09-02T06:54:08.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/oliynikova-first-us-open-victory-2026-second-round tags: [us-open-2026, tennis, ukraine, alexandra-oleynikova, wta] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Oliynikova reaches the US Open second round for the first time in her career and faces a top-20 opponent ![Anastasia Oleinikova in a pink outfit celebrates reaching the second round of the US Open on the New York court](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/02/oleynikova-pervaya-pobeda-us-open-2026-vtoroy-runda/oleynikova-pervaya-pobeda-us-open-2026-vtoroy-runda-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - In the first round of the 2026 US Open, Oliynikova beat Rizz Brantmeier (USA, ranked 431st) 6:4, 6:4 in 1 hour and 39 minutes. - This is Oliynikova's first win in the main draw of a major and her first time reaching the second round of the US Open. - In the second round, her opponent will be world No. 18 Alexandra Eala, whom the Ukrainian already defeated in Strasbourg this season. - Oliynikova became the fourth Ukrainian in the Round of 32 at the 2026 US Open, following Svitolina, Kostyuk, and Starodubtseva. Ukrainian tennis player **Alexandra Oliynikova** made a confident start in the main draw of the 2026 US Open. In the first round of the Grand Slam tournament, she defeated American **Rizz Brantmeier**, ranked 431st in the world, in two sets. The match ended **6:4, 6:4** in favor of the Ukrainian representative, and it took her just **1 hour and 39 minutes** to claim the win. For both players, this meeting was their first head-to-head at the professional level, and Oliynikova played in her attacking style without dropping a single set. More on the Ukrainian's start in New York — in the [Sport RBC.UA](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/tennis/oliynikova-zdobula-pershu-peremogu-us-open-1788330946.html) article. ### First major win of her career This success marked **Oliynikova's first win in the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament in her entire career**. Her previous performances at the majors had not yielded such results, and it was in New York that the Ukrainian finally managed to advance past the opening round for the first time. Her tight, uncompromising play in two sets against an opponent ranked 431st demonstrated that Oliynikova is in good form and capable of competing at the highest level. The victory over Brantmeier was not just a formality, but a statement of intent for the entire tournament. ### The road to New York: from qualifying to the main draw It is worth noting that the 2026 US Open was only **Oliynikova's second appearance in New York**, but it was her first time reaching the second round (Round of 32) at this tournament. Last season, Alexandra was eliminated at the very start of the qualifying round and never made it to the main draw. Thus, in just one year, the Ukrainian went from a qualifying failure to a first-round major victory, which speaks to significant progress in her game and growing confidence in her own abilities. ### A top-20 opponent: a possible rematch with Eala In the second round of the US Open, Oliynikova faces a serious test — her opponent will be **world No. 18 Alexandra Eala** of the Philippines. Notably, this season the Ukrainian has already met the Filipino representative: at the clay-court tournament in **Strasbourg**, Oliynikova defeated her. This could be a psychological advantage heading into the rematch, although on the hard courts of New York the balance of power may look different. The match against a top-20 player will be Oliynikova's main test of strength in her first major where she has reached the second round. ### The Ukrainian wave at the 2026 US Open Thanks to this victory, Oliynikova became the **fourth representative of Ukraine** to reach the Round of 32 at the 2026 US Open. Earlier, **Elina Svitolina, Marta Kostyuk, and Yulia Starodubtseva** had already successfully advanced to the second round of the prestigious tournament. Thus, the Ukrainian tennis team is showing a strong presence in the main draw on American hard courts, which is a significant indicator for the national team. All four Ukrainians now continue their fight to reach the Round of 16, and their upcoming matches will be crucial for domestic tennis this season. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Oliynikova claims her first US Open win of her career and will face a top-20 opponent](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/tennis/oliynikova-zdobula-pershu-peremogu-us-open-1788330946.html) - Подтверждает первую победу в карьере на US Open и выход к сопернице из топ-20 (Эала). - [Alexandra Oliynikova – Rizz Brantmeier. First win at the US Open. Video review](https://sport.ua/news/903467-aleksandra-oleynikova-riz-brantmayer-pervaya-pobeda-na-uso-videoobzor) - Подтверждает счёт и факт первой победы на US Open в матче против Брантмайер. - [Alexandra Oliynikova – Rizz Brantmeier. Match preview for the Round of 64 at the US Open](https://sport.ua/news/903254-aleksandra-oleynikova-riz-brantmayer-prognoz-na-match-164-finala-us-open) - Подтверждает счёт и факт первой победы на US Open в матче против Брантмайер. - [This is just professional racket-waving: Oliynikova harshly criticized the Ukrainian ...](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/tennis/tse-prosto-profesiyne-mahannya-raketkoyu-1787471633.html) - Подтверждает первую победу в карьере на US Open и выход к сопернице из топ-20 (Эала). ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: What was the score of Oliynikova's victory over Brantmeier? **A:** Alexandra Oliynikova defeated Rizz Brantmeier 6:4, 6:4 in 1 hour and 39 minutes. ### Q: Who will be Oliynikova's opponent in the second round of the US Open? **A:** In the second round, her opponent will be world No. 18 Alexandra Eala of the Philippines, whom the Ukrainian already defeated this season on clay in Strasbourg. ### Q: How many Ukrainian tennis players reached the second round of the 2026 US Open? **A:** Four: Elina Svitolina, Marta Kostyuk, Yulia Starodubtseva, and Alexandra Oliynikova.