Harriet Dart ended a 19-month wait for a Grand Slam main-draw singles victory by beating Peyton Stearns 3-6 6-3 6-2 to reach the US Open second round.
The 30-year-old Briton, cheered by parents, uncle and cousins at what she calls a "home away from home", recovered after losing the first set and a break to exploit erratic moments from Stearns. Dart could not convert any of her four break points in the opening game and was broken twice early, but she steadied in the second set and seized control mid-way through the decider, converting her fourth match point to seal the win in just under two and a half hours. Stearns finished with 40 winners and 47 unforced errors.
Dart’s recent form has been patchy at majors. She had not won a main-draw singles match at a major since reaching the second round of the 2025 Australian Open, failed to qualify for four of the next six Grand Slams, and exited in the first round at the last two Wimbledons despite wildcards. Her team now includes 2013 Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli, who began working with Dart in January. Dart credited Bartoli’s guidance, saying, "From her experience, she knows what I'm going through, how I'm feeling, how the day starts, how it finishes - everything from the little things to the big things," and added, "To be able to soak up everything, all of her experience, and learn from her - I feel I'm learning so much every time we speak." The partnership follows a quarter-final run at July’s Challenger in Vancouver and qualification for the Cincinnati Open in August.
Jacob Fearnley supplied the other headline for Britain on day two, staging a dramatic comeback to beat Martin Landaluce 4-6 6-2 4-6 7-5 6-3. The world number 101 reached the main draw as a lucky loser after Joao Fonseca withdrew late. Fearnley trailed 5-2 in the fourth set before winning 10 of the next 11 games and ultimately closing out the match after surviving two missed match points, double faults at key moments and a missed smash. He struck 30 winners to Landaluce’s 11 and served out to love to finish. Reflecting on the victory, Fearnley said, "I still don't think I've comprehended it but a couple of weeks ago, I was playing in the final in Newport and I was 5-1, 40-15 down," and added, "The way I was seeing it was that I don't have a lot to lose."
Dart and Fearnley join Toby Samuel and Katie Boulter as the four British singles players who have reached round two. Next up, Fearnley will face 27th seed Tomas Etcheverry while Dart meets 25th seed Marie Bouzkova. Both matches will test whether recent momentum can translate into deeper runs at Flushing Meadows.
