World No. 2 Iga Swiatek kicked off her US Open title bid with an easy win on Tuesday (August 26), breezing past Colombia’s Emiliana Arango in straight sets.

The Polish star, fresh off her first Wimbledon crown and widely considered the favourite in New York, needed just over an hour to wrap up a commanding 6-1, 6-2 win on Arthur Ashe Stadium. Swiatek was in full control from the start, firing 26 winners and winning 76 per cent of her service points without facing a single break point. Her opponent, world No. 84 Arango, managed just five winners.

The six-time Grand Slam champion arrived at Flushing Meadows with strong momentum after capturing the Cincinnati Open title, a key WTA 1000 event in the lead-up to the final major of the year. And she didn’t stop there, just a day after her singles win, Swiatek partnered with Norway’s Casper Ruud in the revamped mixed doubles competition, where the duo reached the final before falling to defending champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori.

Against Arango, Swiatek broke early for a 3-1 lead and never looked back, grabbing another break to go up 5-1 before serving out the first set. She kept her foot on the gas in the second, breaking in the opening game and again at 4-2 to seal the win.

Swiatek now advances to the second round, where she’ll take on Dutch world No. 66 Suzan Lamens.