Renata Zarazua stokes US Open fires with senstational upset

Under the blazing New York sun at Flushing Meadows, Renata Zarazúa etched her name into tennis history with a seismic upset that reverberated across the courts of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The unheralded Mexican, ranked No. 93, toppled No. 6 seed Madison Keys in a grueling 6-7(10), 7-6(3), 7-5 marathon, becoming the first Mexican player to defeat a top-10 seed at a major since 1995. In a first round brimming with thrills and spills, Zarazúa’s three-hour epic stood as the 2025 US Open’s defining early moment, a testament to relentless baseline grit and a fearless heart.

Zarazúa, a 27-year-old from Mexico City, entered the US Open with just one main-draw win in her prior three appearances. Facing Keys, a 2017 finalist with a thunderous serve and 73.5% first-serve point win rate this season, the odds were daunting. Yet, from the first ball on Louis Armstrong Stadium, Zarazúa’s game plan was clear: absorb Keys’ power and counter with pinpoint groundstrokes.

The first set was a war of attrition, Keys saving four set points in a 12-10 tiebreak to edge ahead. Undeterred, Zarazúa leaned into her 70% first-serve accuracy, forcing Keys into 48 unforced errors across the match. The second-set tiebreak saw her seize control, winning 7-3 with a crosscourt forehand that left Keys sprawling. In the decider, Zarazúa broke at 5-5 with a backhand down the line, then held serve with a gritty 12-shot rally, collapsing in tears as the crowd roared. “I believed in every point,” she said post-match, her victory a beacon for Mexican tennis.

The upset was the crown jewel of a first round that crackled with drama. Across the grounds, top seeds asserted dominance but not without turbulence. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, the defending champion, obliterated Vit Kopriva 6-1, 6-1, 6-2, his baseline precision extending his 22-0 Slam streak against unseeded foes. Carlos Alcaraz, the No. 2 seed and 2022 champion, navigated Reilly Opelka’s 15 aces to win 6-4, 7-5, 6-4, his drop shot on set point in the second a moment of Arthur Ashe Stadium magic.

American hopes soared as No. 4 seed Taylor Fritz dispatched Emilio Nava 7-5, 6-2, 6-3, and No. 6 Ben Shelton crushed Ignacio Buse 6-3, 6-2, 6-4, his 26/33 net points and around-the-post forehand electrifying fans. Novak Djokovic, the 24-time major champion, quelled 19-year-old Learner Tien 6-1, 7-6(3), 6-2 in a night-session masterclass.

Yet, shocks rivaled Zarazúa’s. Benjamin Bonzi stunned No. 13 seed Daniil Medvedev, the 2021 champion, 6-3, 7-5, 6-7(5), 0-6, 6-4, surviving a fourth-set collapse to outlast the Russian’s baseline barrage. On the women’s side, Karolina Muchova outmaneuvered 45-year-old Venus Williams 6-3, 2-6, 6-1, while Emma Raducanu, the 2021 champion, sailed past Ena Shibahara in straight sets, her No. 35 ranking masking a resurgent fire. Petra Kvitova’s first-round exit, followed by her retirement at 35, cast a poignant shadow over the day’s triumphs.

The Laykold courts, with their medium-fast pace, amplified Zarazúa’s tactical brilliance, rewarding her defensive tenacity while punishing Keys’ errors. Zarazúa’s triumph, alongside Bonzi’s upset and American heroics, set the tone for a tournament where every point could rewrite history. For one Mexican trailblazer, the 2025 US Open was no longer a dream—it was her stage, and she owned it.

Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images