Simona Halep became the first top-seeded woman to lose in the first round of the U.S. Open in the open era by losing 6-2, 6-4 to No. 44 Kaia Kanepi.
The defeat marked the second-straight year in which Halep lost in the opening round of the U.S. Open. She lost last year as the No. 2 seed to Maria Sharapova. Halep won her first major at the French Open in 2018.
The Romanian entered the U.S. Open on a hot streak by winning the Rogers Cup on Aug. 8 and finishing second in the Cincinnati Masters on Aug.