Aleksandar Vukic

Aleksandar Vukic pushed Rei Sakamoto through nearly three and a half hours at Flushing Meadows, but the Australian’s first-round defeat underlined how much harder major chances are becoming to convert.

A contest decided by persistence

Aleksandar Vukic did not leave the US Open quietly. Against Rei Sakamoto, a 20-year-old Japanese qualifier rising rapidly through the professional ranks, Vukic absorbed the swings of a contest that repeatedly threatened to run away from him before forcing it into a deciding set.

The Australian lost 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 on Tuesday, September 1, in a match lasting close to three and a half hours. It was a defeat, but not a passive one: Vukic recovered twice from a set down, kept the contest alive through its momentum changes and made Sakamoto work for his first Grand Slam main-draw victory. (usopen.org)

The opponent was no longer just a qualifier

The context matters. Sakamoto arrived in New York having qualified by defeating Kei Nishikori in the final round, then carried that confidence into the main draw. ATP Tour reporting had listed him among the tournament’s Challenger-level players to watch, while the US Open identified him as fourth in the PIF ATP Live Next Gen Race. His victory over Vukic confirmed that this was not a conventional first-round meeting with an opponent merely happy to be there. (atptour.com)

Sakamoto’s numbers made the problem especially clear. He struck 38 aces and produced 76 winners, giving Vukic a difficult combination to solve: a large, hard-court player capable of shortening points, but also physically prepared to sustain the demands of five sets. The Japanese player had specifically worked on his physical and mental readiness after an earlier Grand Slam defeat, and that preparation showed when the match reached its most exposed moments. (usopen.org)

What Vukic’s fight reveals

For Vukic, the significance lies less in the loss itself than in the standard required to turn an opening into a result. He was ranked No. 95 in the latest Australian Open player profile update before the tournament, a position that reflects his established place in the main draw rather than the uncertainty of qualifying. But the match demonstrated that direct entry no longer guarantees a manageable path. The next wave is arriving with the weapons, belief and conditioning to make even experienced major competitors earn every passage. (ausopen.com)

Vukic’s response remains encouraging. He did not allow the second-set comeback to become a brief interruption before Sakamoto reclaimed control; instead, he found another level in the fourth set and forced the match into a final examination of nerve and execution. That resistance is important for a player whose best tennis has long been tied to first-strike intent, particularly on faster courts where serve and forehand pressure can create short, decisive exchanges.

Yet the deciding set also sharpened the question around his current development. Against a younger opponent with elite serving numbers and a growing appetite for major stages, Vukic needed to turn his competitive resilience into scoreboard control. The opportunity was there across a long, momentum-heavy afternoon. Sakamoto simply managed the crucial moments more cleanly.

A costly lesson, not a dead end

The result leaves Vukic without the second-round run he wanted, but it does not erase the value of the performance. He showed the durability to stay in a match that repeatedly shifted away from him and the resolve to keep asking questions after falling behind. The next step is more exacting: converting those periods of resistance into earlier scoreboard pressure, especially before an opponent’s confidence and physical rhythm become established.

That is the modern major-stage challenge Vukic now faces. The opportunities remain real, but the margin between taking one and merely surviving it is narrowing. Against Sakamoto, the Australian found enough level to make a contest of it. To make the next opportunity count, he will need enough extra precision to ensure the fight ends with him still standing.

SourcesWho is Rei Sakamoto? Japanese phenom faces Frances Tiafoe at US Open | Official Site of the 2026 US Open Tennis Championships - A USTA EventWho qualified for the US Open? | ATP Tour | TennisAleksandar Vukic [AUS] | AOWho is Rei Sakamoto? Japanese phenom faces Frances Tiafoe at US OpenFrances Tiafoe topples Martin Damm in five-set US Open thrillerUS Open: Five Challenger players to watchWho qualified for the US Open?Aleksandar Vukic player profile

Aleksandar Vukic dragged Rei Sakamoto into a deciding set after twice falling behind, only for rain to suspend their US Open opener at 4-3 in the fifth. The Australian returns on September 1 needing to overturn a break deficit to keep his campaign alive.

A comeback left unfinished

Aleksandar Vukic’s US Open campaign has been reduced to the most unforgiving of margins: one break, one set and one restart after the weather intervened.

The Australian recovered from two sets down against Japan’s Rei Sakamoto on Monday, August 31, turning a match that appeared to be slipping away into a deciding-set contest. But just as the opening-round battle entered its final stretch, rain suspended play on the outside courts at Flushing Meadows.

Sakamoto led 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-4, 3-6, 4-3 when the players were taken off Court 7. The Japanese qualifier holds the advantage, but Vukic remains close enough to believe the match can still be pulled back when play resumes on Tuesday, September 1. (abc.net.au)

The shape of the fight

The scoreline tells the story of a match that has repeatedly changed direction. Sakamoto took the first set and edged the third, but Vukic refused to let the contest become a straight-line march towards an upset. The 30-year-old levelled the match by taking the fourth set 6-3, forcing Sakamoto to confront the physical and emotional demands of a fifth set on his Grand Slam main-draw debut.

The available match figures underline how little separates them. Vukic had struck 20 aces to Sakamoto’s 36 and won 80 per cent of points behind his first serve, while the Japanese player had been more effective on second-serve returns. Vukic, however, had converted both of his break-point chances and saved five of eight against him — evidence of a match being decided in small, high-value exchanges rather than sustained control by either player. (tennis.com)

That makes the restart more than a simple continuation. Vukic is not merely trying to win three more games; he must first prevent Sakamoto from consolidating the break that currently separates them. The Australian’s best route back will likely come through the same first-strike tennis that has kept him competitive: protect the first serve, shorten points when the opportunity appears and make Sakamoto earn every second-serve look.

A dangerous opponent, not a soft landing

Sakamoto arrived in the main draw with his own momentum. The 20-year-old came through qualifying without dropping a set in his final-round victory over former world No.4 Kei Nishikori, reaching his first US Open main draw and earning recognition as one of the tournament’s emerging Challenger-level prospects.

ATP Tour coverage has described Sakamoto as a hard-court player with a powerful game, while also placing him 10th in the PIF ATP Live Next Gen Race. His performance against Vukic has made that profile tangible: the qualifier has served heavily, held 22 of 24 service games and remained composed enough to move within sight of a first Grand Slam main-draw victory. (atptour.com)

For Vukic, the unfinished nature of the match carries a particular tension. His place in New York was meant to offer a winnable first step, but Sakamoto has turned the opener into a test of resilience and adjustment. There is no longer any value in the draw’s pre-match logic. The Australian must deal with the exact problem in front of him: a younger opponent serving for the biggest win of his career, with the match already deep into a fifth set.

The opportunity is still there

Rain has denied both players a clean ending, but it has not removed Vukic’s chance. He has already done the hardest part of a comeback by surviving the fourth-set pressure and forcing the decider. The next task is narrower and more immediate: find a way to break back before Sakamoto can turn his advantage into match point.

That uncertainty is what makes Tuesday’s resumption meaningful for Vukic. A loss would leave him with the frustration of having recovered from two sets down without completing the escape. A win would transform the same sequence into one of the more durable fightbacks of his season — a victory built not on a fast start, but on refusing to let the match end when it first seemed beyond him.

SourcesRain suspends play at US Open, Taylah Preston advances to second round - ABC NewsAleksandar Vukic vs Rei Sakamoto · Round 1 · US Open | Tennis.comWho qualified for the US Open? | ATP Tour | TennisRain suspends play at US Open, Taylah Preston advances to second roundSunday's play on outer courts at US Open suspended due to rainAleksandar Vukic vs Rei Sakamoto — US Open Round 1 match statisticsWho qualified for the US Open?US Open: Five Challenger players to watch

Aleksandar Vukic has the kind of opening-round opportunity that can change the feel of a Grand Slam campaign — provided he can handle the danger carried by Rei Sakamoto’s qualifying run.

A chance that comes with a warning

Aleksandar Vukic arrives at the US Open with a direct place in the main draw and a first-round opponent who makes the opportunity obvious. He will face Japan’s Rei Sakamoto on Sunday, August 30, in a meeting that pairs the Australian’s experience and ranking position with one of the tournament’s youngest successful qualifiers. (usopen.org)

On paper, this is the sort of draw Vukic needs to take seriously rather than fear. Sakamoto is listed outside the world’s top 150, while Vukic sits around the edge of the top 100, and the Australian is the established tour player in the matchup. But the numbers only describe the starting point. They do not capture the momentum of a 20-year-old who has already survived three qualifying rounds in New York.

Sakamoto has already proved the point

Sakamoto’s route into the main draw has been more than a procedural qualification. He defeated Jay Clarke in three sets in the opening round, beat Alexandre Muller in straight sets, then produced the result that gave his arrival extra weight: a 6-4, 7-6(3) victory over former US Open finalist Kei Nishikori. The US Open’s own account framed it as a significant moment for a rising Japanese player, while also confirming Vukic as his first-round opponent. (usopen.org)

That makes the draw dangerous in a very specific way. Vukic is not facing an unknown qualifier who has merely filled a vacant slot. He is facing a player who has spent the week learning the conditions, winning matches and handling the emotional acceleration that comes with a first Grand Slam main draw. Sakamoto’s victory over Nishikori also gives him a story to inhabit: the next generation arriving on the same court where an earlier Japanese standard once made history.

Vukic’s opportunity is about conversion

For Vukic, the question is less whether this is a winnable match than whether he can convert a favourable-looking position into a meaningful result. The Sydney-born right-hander has already reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam, making the Australian Open third round in 2025, and has a career-high ranking of No.48. His ATP profile identifies the forehand as his favourite shot and hard court as his preferred surface, a combination that gives this match a clear tactical starting point: Vukic must make his experience and first-strike strengths count before Sakamoto can settle into the pace of the contest. (atptour.com)

That does not mean the match should be reduced to serve-plus-one shorthand. A qualifier with three wins behind him is likely to arrive with fewer doubts and a sharper sense of what is working. Vukic’s task is to prevent the occasion from becoming an extended examination of his patience. If he allows Sakamoto to establish a rhythm, the apparent gap between the players can narrow quickly.

New York can still become more than an entry

Vukic’s direct entry was already important for an Australian men’s group that has required several players to navigate qualifying or late changes simply to reach the field. But direct status is only the administrative beginning. The value of this draw lies in what comes next: a chance to turn confirmed participation into a first US Open win and, from there, a different kind of week. (tennis.com)

There is no need to oversell the route. Sakamoto has earned his place, and the match is dangerous precisely because the Japanese teenager has nothing left to prove about whether he belongs in the main draw. Vukic, meanwhile, has to show that his experience can create separation when the match is close and the crowd senses an upset.

For an Australian who has spent the past several seasons moving between the established tour and the pressure of proving his level again, this is a useful test of conversion. The draw has given Vukic an opening. New York will decide whether it becomes a breakthrough or simply another first-round listing.

SourcesMen's qualifiers of the 2026 US Open: Dimitrov, Wong, Sakamoto and more | Official Site of the 2026 US Open Tennis Championships - A USTA EventAleksandar Vukic | Bio | ATP Tour | TennisAleksandar Vukic vs Rei Sakamoto · Round 1 · US Open | Tennis.comMen's qualifiers of the 2026 US Open: Dimitrov, Wong, Sakamoto and moreAleksandar Vukic | Bio | ATP TourAleksandar Vukic vs Rei Sakamoto — US Open first roundKei Nishikori honoured after playing final Grand Slam match at 2026 US Open

As Australian men begin the three-match fight for a US Open berth, Aleksandar Vukic has already secured his place in the New York main draw. His route there matters: a July title and a return to the top 100 have restored a platform, but the hard-court major will test whether that progress can translate against established tour opposition.

A place earned before the pressure week

The 2026 US Open qualifying tournament began on Monday, August 24, with 128 players in the men’s field competing for 16 main-draw places. Aleksandar Vukic is not part of that scramble. His main-draw position was secured through the July 20 ranking list, when the men’s cut-off was world No. 101. (usopen.org)

That distinction is significant for Australia’s current group. While compatriots are trying to survive three rounds on the National Tennis Center’s outer courts, Vukic has the certainty of a best-of-five assignment from Sunday, August 30. It gives Australia one guaranteed men’s singles representative in the draw without relying on a wildcard or a qualifier’s late surge.

The ranking case was rebuilt in Canada

Vukic’s direct entry was not simply a benefit of his established status. He had slipped outside the main-draw safety zone earlier in the season, with his ranking listed at No. 113 on July 13 before moving to No. 105 on July 27 and No. 99 by August 21. (tennismajors.com)

The key result was his title at the Granby Challenger in Quebec. As the top seed, Vukic beat August Holmgren in the semi-final and Arthur Gea 6-4, 1-6, 6-1 in the final. The run supplied the ranking lift required to put New York back within reach and also offered a more useful signal than a single early-round win: he handled four consecutive hard-court matches before closing out the event in three sets. (atptour.com)

The hard-court signs are encouraging, not conclusive

Vukic followed Granby by qualifying for the Mubadala Citi DC Open, beating Aziz Dougaz and Alex Bolt before reaching the round of 16. He then pushed fourth seed Lorenzo Musetti to three sets, losing 3-6, 7-5, 3-6. In Toronto, he again came through qualifying, defeating Tomas Barrios Vera, before losing to Daniel Altmaier 7-6, 6-7, 4-6 in the first round. (tennismajors.com)

The pattern is clear. Vukic is finding enough first-strike tennis to make hard-court matches competitive: protect his service games, take the ball early and force opponents to solve the point before they can settle into extended exchanges. The Musetti match especially showed that his current level can stay with a seeded opponent over a long contest. The issue is conversion. The Toronto defeat was decided by fine margins, but it also left him without a main-draw win in the Canadian swing.

New York is an opportunity, not a cushion

Vukic’s ranking has improved, but he remains well below his career high of world No. 48, reached on August 14, 2023. (atptour.com) The US Open therefore arrives as a chance to consolidate the recovery rather than proof that it is complete.

The draw will determine the immediate value of the opportunity, but the tactical demand will be consistent: Vukic needs his serve and first forehand to produce cheap points, while avoiding matches becoming purely reactive from the baseline. His recent results suggest the level is present; the next step is sustaining it across a Grand Slam match, where opponents get more time to expose a second-serve pattern or a passive stretch.

That makes his position the useful contrast to qualifying this week. Australia’s emerging depth still has to earn its access, but Vukic has already created the direct-entry foothold. His task now is to turn that administrative advantage into a result that reflects the hard-court progress behind it.

SourcesWho is playing the 2026 US Open? Sabalenka, Alcaraz, Sinner, Pegula & more | Official Site of the 2026 US Open Tennis Championships - A USTA EventAleksandar Vukic - Tennis player - ATP - Tennis MajorsGranby | Results | ATP Tour | TennisAleksandar Vukic | Rankings History | ATP Tour | TennisWho is playing the 2026 US Open?Nishikori, Dimitrov, Zheng, Andreescu learn paths in 2026 US Open qualifying drawsGranby Challenger resultsAleksandar Vukic player and ranking dataAleksandar Vukic player profile and recent results