NEW YORK \u2013 Naomi Osaka, Alex Eala and Iga Swiatek are on the schedule Thursday at the U.S. Open, with Coco Gauff headlining the action at night.<\/p>\n
Doubles play also began Thursday, though Serena and Venus Williams<\/a> are not on the schedule. They could play their first-round match Friday against Hao-Ching Chan and Maya Joint, who beat Serena in singles play<\/a> at Wimbledon this summer.<\/p>\n Osaka, the two-time U.S. Open champion, started the action on Arthur Ashe Stadium against Katerina Siniakova. Osaka wore white and silver under her long white jacket with a white visor for her day match, after she was dressed in black with her hair done in cornrows under a headband in a tribute to former NBA superstar Allen Iverson<\/a> for her opener at night.<\/p>\n Eala was also scheduled for day action after the No. 17 seed from the Philippines<\/a> started at night, as was Swiatek, the 2022 U.S. Open champion.<\/p>\n Gauff, who won her first major title at Flushing Meadows in 2023, faces Paula Badosa in a night match that will be followed by No. 1 Alexander Zverev, who hopes for an easier time against Quentin Halys after he needed five sets to edge Lorenzo Sonego<\/a> on Tuesday, barely avoiding becoming the first No. 1 seed to lose in the first round of a men’s major since 2003.<\/p>\n Badosa will be playing for the second straight day, forced to finish her first-round match Wednesday after play was suspended Tuesday because of rain that hampered the tournament for multiple days. The sun was out again Thursday when play began.<\/p>\n Other men in action include No. 3 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, No. 9 Taylor Fritz and Gael Monfils<\/a>, who is planning to retire after this year but won Tuesday on his 40th birthday to prolong his Grand Slam career and advance to face No. 14 Learner Tien.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n