Alex De Minaur defeated Otto Virtanen 7–5, 6–1, 7–6 at the US Open first round on hard court, confirming his status as the pre-match favourite with odds of 1.27. The Australian controlled the encounter from the outset, breaking Virtanen's serve multiple times to secure the opening set before dominating the second with a decisive scoreline. The Finnish qualifier mounted resistance in the third set, forcing a tiebreak, but De Minaur ultimately prevailed to advance smoothly. The comprehensive victory underlines De Minaur's solid form at Flushing Meadows and sets up a favourable platform for his second-round encounter.