British qualifier Jan Choinski threatened to score a memorable win on his US Open main draw debut after coming from two sets down before running out of steam in the thriller.

Choinski, who won three qualifying matches to qualify for the main draw in New York, lost in the first round 6:2, 6:3, 5:7, 6:7 (5:7), 6:3 to Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena.

The British number 10 in men’s tennis ultimately had to pay the price for making too many unforced errors, especially in the first two sets.

He will also regret not being able to capitalize on any of his five break points in the first game of the deciding set, when he was leading 0-40.

“All in all, I’m happy with my performance in this game. I can definitely build on that in the future,” said Choinski, who added that he had been battling a “full-blown cold and a sinus infection” beforehand.

Choinski, ranked 276th in the world, was the first British player in action on the first day at Flushing Meadows.

British women’s number three Harriet Dart will play against Frenchwoman Chloe Paquet at approximately 11.30pm BST.

The 28-year-old Dart wants to repeat her promising run to the third round of Wimbledon in July.

Four other Britons – Jack Draper, Katie Boulter, Emma Raducanu and Dan Evans – will play their opening matches on Tuesday.

The US Open is the first major tournament since former world number one Andy Murray retired last month from his Olympic farewell in Paris in 2024.

Regret about Choinski, but also satisfaction

For any player outside the world’s top 250, qualifying for the main draw of a major is a big deal, and Choinski will ultimately derive a lot of satisfaction from his time in New York.

The £75,000 prize money will also come in handy for German-born Choinski as he looks to climb back up the rankings.

However, there will also be some regret that he did not take the opportunity to achieve the second major victory of his career.

After moving to Great Britain in 2019, he reached his highest career ranking of 123rd last year but has struggled to stay consistent this season.

But the big server with the aggressive forehand made it to the first round of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time – after previously receiving wildcards for Wimbledon – by defeating Argentinian Pedro Cachin, Frenchman Valentin Vacherot and American Maxime Cressy in qualifying for New York.

Choinski, whose English mother and Polish father met while studying ballet in Germany, tried to maintain his rhythm against 55th-seeded Carballes Baena.

Trailing by two sets and a break, Choinski looked set to exit quickly as Carballes Baena’s tenacity and ability to return many balls from the baseline led him to commit a series of wild unforced errors.

Suddenly, halfway through the third set, the British player started to find his range and the winners now outweighed the mistakes.

“When I was two sets down, I still felt like I was hitting a pretty good ball, so I just had to face the situation and make the best of it,” he said.

Choinski demonstrated his physical and mental strength, recovering from early breaks to win the third and fourth sets, leveling the match and forcing a seemingly improbable decision.

Carballes Baena left the court for a long toilet break and returned calmer and more composed, while Choinski again became unpredictable and suffered defeat after four hours and 31 minutes.

“There were days when I felt better than I do now, especially fresher after the game in 32 degree (heat),” said Choinski.

“It’s a bit of a strain on the body, but I’ll survive.

“I’ve struggled a lot over the last three days to get rid of the (cold) and get my body in a position where I could do five sets.”