Pegula, Navarro advance at rain-delayed US Open on September 2

Rain suspended play on outdoor courts Wednesday at the US Open, but action continued uninterrupted under the roofs in Arthur Ashe Stadium and Louis Armstrong Stadium. No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula made swift work of her match on a covered court, defeating Sofia Kenin 6-3, 6-1 in 56 minutes, per ESPN, and advancing to the third round. Pegula's efficient victory was her 31st hard-court win in 2026, breaking a tie with Elena Rybakina for the most by any player on the women's tour, according to ESPN. Overall in 2026, Pegula has won 47 matches, tied with Alexander Zverev for the most by any player on either tour, per ESPN. Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion, had defeated Venus Williams in her first match at this US Open, according to ESPN. No. 26 Emma Navarro also advanced to the third round, rallying past American opponent Caty McNally 3-6, 6-2, 6-3. According to ESPN, this was Navarro's first win at the US Open when dropping the first set, following an 0-3 record in such circumstances previously at the tournament. Two other seeded players on covered courts moved forward: No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka defeated Polina Iatcenko 6-1, 6-1 in 53 minutes in the night session on Arthur Ashe, per ESPN. Paula Badosa completed a rain-interrupted match from Tuesday, defeating Daria Kasatkina 6-1, 6-4, which set up a second-round clash against No. 4 Coco Gauff, according to ESPN. Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova and runner-up Karolina Muchova also advanced, and No. 11 Marta Kostyuk defeated 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens 6-1, 7-5, per ESPN. The tournament structure, which switched to a Sunday start last year and spread the first round over the first three days, meant Wednesday's completion of the first round came late in the evening, with 25 men's singles matches scheduled to get the tournament back on track, according to ESPN. Pegula commented on her quick victory, saying, per ESPN, "To be out of there in under an hour, it doesn't always happen. So I think I'm just going to take that one and run, I guess, until the next round." She will face No. 31 seed Leylah Fernandez in the third round, a matchup of past US Open runners-up, per ESPN. The winner will meet either No. 16 Sorana Cirstea or No. 19 Jasmine Paolini, according to ESPN. Off the court, Pegula addressed a growing tension at the US Open over influencers using ring lights and flash cameras during matches. Pegula stated, per Front Office Sports, that influencer use of ring lights has "gotten a little maybe too much" and "seems a bit disrespectful." She elaborated, per Front Office Sports: "People are down there trying to perform, and it's their career and their job. And it seems a bit disrespectful." Pegula said she can appreciate influencers showcasing the US Open experience regarding food, drinks, and shops but draws the line when they disrupt play, noting per Front Office Sports that when that happens "it gets a little tough." However, not all players agree. No. 1 Sabalenka expressed support for influencer presence, stating per Front Office Sports, "I love it, I love it. It's more eyes on [our] sport." Daniil Medvedev said influencer attention has "more upside than downside" and stated per Front Office Sports that he "trusts USTA with what they are doing," noting chair umpires can address the crowd when disturbances occur. Medvedev suggested that if light disturbances happen, "maybe one time they do it, and then someone tells them not to do it," per Front Office Sports. The USTA is addressing the concern through reminders. USTA head of communications Brendan McIntyre stated, per Front Office Sports, that the tournament is reminding attendees to "refrain from any activity that can disrupt the action" through in-advance emails to ticket holders, notifications to suite holders, and messagings on video boards. McIntyre noted that "these instances happen infrequently, and similar to when crowd noise reaches a certain level, our chair umpires have the ability to address the crowd when they occur," per Front Office Sports.