The opening day of the US Open unfolded less than auspiciously for China's women's singles contingent, as all four representatives to see action on Sunday – Wang Xiyu, Zhang Shuai, Wang Yafan, and Zhu Lin – bowed out in the first round.

The familiar sting of the early exits was felt sharply, especially by Wang Xiyu, who qualified through the rigors of the preliminary rounds, only to fall 6-4, 6-3 against Latvian firebrand Jelena Ostapenko. This marks the second consecutive year Wang has suffered an immediate departure at Flushing Meadows, a frustration she will surely redouble her efforts to overcome.

Another qualifier, Zhang Shuai, was dispatched 6-3, 6-3 by the tournament's 16th seed, Switzerland's Belinda Bencic, dashing the 36-year-old veteran's hopes of making a deeper run in New York.

Wang Yafan's contest ended in narrow heartbreak, as she lost 7-6, 6-3 to the host nation's Emma Navarro, after squandering a 5-3 lead and three match points in the opening set.

Zhu Lin battled valiantly, taking a set and forcing a decider against Russia's Anastasia Potapova before succumbing 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 in a grueling marathon encounter.

Following those four setbacks, China's hopes now rest on just two women's singles players – Yuan Yue, scheduled to compete on Monday night, and Wang Xinyu, slated to take the court on Tuesday. The pressure is palpable, but so too is the opportunity to restore national pride at the final Grand Slam of the season.

Elsewhere in the women's draw, World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus recovered from a shaky start to put away Switzerland's Rebeka Masarova 7-5, 6-1. Former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic dispatched Russia's Oksana Selekhmeteva 6-3, 7-6 (3), setting up a second round meeting with the USA's McCartney Kessler.

On the men's side, Novak Djokovic wasted little time asserting his dominance, cruising past American teenager Learner Tien 6-1, 7-6, 6-2 in two hours and 25 minutes at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Next up for Serbia's 24-time Grand Slam winner is another qualifier from the host nation, 22-year-old Zachary Svajda.