Hong Kong tennis player Coleman Wong Chak-lam made history on Monday by becoming the first from the city to advance to the second round of a Grand Slam tournament.

At the US Open in New York, the 21-year-old defeated Aleksandar Kovacevic of the United States 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (4).

This win propelled him up 18 places in the rankings to No 155. Wong’s second-round opponent will be Australia’s Adam Walton, who is ranked 85th.

Wong achieved a career-high singles ranking of No 128 in 2024. He became the first Hong Kong player to win a men’s professional singles title in Tunisia on June 25, 2023.