What Bianca Andreescu said to Jasmine Paolini at the net after losing to her in the US Open first round

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Bianca Andreescu managed to see the funny side despite being knocked out of the US Open by Jasmine Paolini.

Paolini is the US Open fifth seed, although the Italian was handed a tricky first-round draw against Andreescu.

The latter won the US Open in 2019, and was keen to upset the French Open and Wimbledon finalist in New York.

But it was Paolini who came out on top at Flushing Meadows, defeating the Canadian 6-7(5-7), 6-2, 6-4 in Louis Armstrong Stadium.

The Italian is enjoying a superb year on the WTA Tour, with Paolini making history after her efforts at Roland Garros and SW19.

Bianca Andreescu jokes with Jasmine Paolini despite US Open loss

And unfortunately for Andreescu, she has now been on the receiving end of Paolini’s great Grand Slam success for the third time this year.

The Italian beat the Canadian in the third rounds of both the French Open and Wimbledon, and has now added the US Open first round to that list, extending her head-to-head record to 3-0.

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But according to The Tennis Letter, Andreescu was in high spirits as she joked about the record, telling Paolini at the net after the loss: “Let me win next time… God,” with her opponent replying: “Sorry”.

How far can Jasmine Paolini go at the US Open?

US Open fans will be sorry to see Andreescu exit at such an early stage, but she isn’t the only former winner to fall at the first hurdle.

Emma Raducanu, who won the title in 2021, suffered a first round loss to fellow one-time Grand Slam winner Sofia Kenin.

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But there were no such struggles for fellow recent champions Naomi Osaka, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff, who are all safely into round two.

That is now also the case for Paolini, who has come agonisingly close to her first Grand Slam title in 2024.

Now ranked a career-high fifth, the 28-year-old will take on Karolina Pliskova in the second round at Flushing Meadows.

It will be another tough test for the Italian, who has never made it beyond this stage of the US Open, having lost in the second round in 2021.