Victoria Azarenka defeated Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6–3, 6–3 in the first round of the US Open on hard court on 27 August 2025, recording a significant upset against the pre-match favourite. Despite Pavlyuchenkova entering as the odds-on favourite at 1.68, Azarenka controlled proceedings throughout both sets, breaking serve consistently to secure a dominant two-set victory. The result represents a notable statement of intent from Azarenka in the early stages of the Grand Slam, suggesting improved form and confidence heading deeper into the tournament.