Seventeen players represented the stars and stripes in singles action on Tuesday at Australian Open 2025, and the favourites emerged victorious in four all-American battles.
Eighth seed Emma Navarro edged past countrywoman Peyton Stearns in a tightly contested 6-7(5) 7-6(5) 7-5 battle lasting three hours and 20 minutes, the longest women's singles clash of the tournament.
“Crazy match today,” said the 2024 US Open semifinalist, who won just nine more points than her rival. “She put up a really great fight.”
Navarro made her winning start at Rod Laver Arena, the only centre court at the four Grand Slams that the 23-year-old had yet to compete on.
Stearns, the world No.46, is still hunting for a career-first victory over a top-10 opponent after nine attempts. She was within reach of an upset and served for the match at 5-4 in the third set, only to be denied by her more experienced opponent, who is just five months her senior.
Navarro made her Billie Jean King Cup debut last year in addition to competing for Team USA at the Olympic Games and as a result has got to know countrywomen including Madison Keys, Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff over the past year.
“It's really cool to have that camaraderie with my fellow Americans and cheer each other on,” she said. “It's great to see their success, and it's fun to feel that patriotism on tour.”
Navvaro will next meet China’s Wang Xiyu, who posted a 6-1 7-5 win over Julia Grabher.
Across the grounds, men’s singles fourth seed Taylor Fritz cruised into the second round by trouncing compatriot Jenson Brooksby 6-2 6-0 6-3.
“I’m super happy with how the match went today,” Fritz said. The 27-year-old has dropped fewer games at a major on only three previous occasions.
He won 83 per cent of first serve points and seized control over the all-American encounter with 34 winners compared with his opponent’s 20, to the delight of his fans at John Cain Arena.
“I work really hard and I think a lot of that’s shown in the way I’ve been able to keep making improvements even later on, toward the later stages of my career,” said Fritz, whose mental fortitude has been credited in recent days by fellow Americans Reilly Opelka and Coco Gauff.
Fritz said Opelka’s categorisation of him as “delusionally optimistic” is “absolutely true” and that no matter how bad a situation is, he’s able to see it in a positive light.
“I’m delusionally optimistic to a point where things that shouldn’t be possible… I think I can make things happen, I guess I’m playing tricks in my mind to believe things maybe that aren’t realistic,” Fritz said.
Fritz, the top-ranked American male, said he wants to win a big title in 2025. "I would really want to be in another Slam final and just give myself - obviously the goal is to win - but another opportunity at winning a Slam would be great."
The world No.4 reached his first major final at last year’s US Open.
By avenging his 2021 US Open defeat to Brooksby, Fritz set up a second-round clash against qualifier Cristian Garin, who swept past Borna Coric in straight sets. The AO 2024 quarterfinalist has a 2-1 head-to-head advantage over the Chilean.
Men's 21st seed Ben Shelton extended his unbeaten record against Brandon Nakashima to 3-0 courtesy of a 7-6(3) 7-5 7-5 win over the Californian.
"I love to see where American tennis is at," said the left-hander, who is friends with Americans including Gauff and Chris Eubanks, and watched the match between Navarro and Stearns who, like him, played college tennis.
"That was absolute war," said the 22-year-old, adding that he's glad to see fellow Florida resident Reilly Opelka back on tour and competing well.
"There [were] probably too many American versus American first-round matches than I would have liked to see," grinned Shelton. "But it is what it is."
Elsewhere, Florida resident Amanda Anisimova advanced to the second round on Tuesday with a 6-2 6-3 win over Maria Lourdes Carle.
She'll tackle 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu in the pair’s first-ever meeting. Wildcard Iva Jovic also progressed, losing just three games to Nuria Parrizas Dias.
Qualifier Learner Tien also joined the winners' circle, toughing out a four hour, five-set marathon over Camilo Ugo Carabelli. It's the 19-year-old Californian's first Grand Slam win.
19th seed Madison Keys also triumphed over countrywoman Ann Li 6-4 7-5 in the duo’s first meeting.
“I’ve practised with Ann a ton, we both trained in Orlando so I’ve hit with her many times, I know how good she is,” said Keys.
The 29-year-old is undefeated in 2025 and clinched the ninth title of her career in Adelaide in the lead-in to AO 2025.
Elsewhere, American qualifiers Mitchell Krueger and Tristan Boyer secured their first AO main draw wins with upsets over Rinky Hijikata and Federico Coria.