The top photos of the day by AP's photojournalists

From front page news to powerful moments you may have missed, this gallery showcases today's top photos, chosen by Associated Press photo editors.

Demonstrators take photos with a cardboard cut out of President Donald Trump near the Lincoln Memorial before the March on Washington, Friday, Aug. 28, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Catholics take part in a procession to pray for rain amid a prolonged drought in Santo Domingo Xenacoj, Guatemala, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)

A firefighter moves an injured animal as the Plaskett Fire burns towards Highway 1 on Friday, Aug. 28, 2026, in Big Sur, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)

Tightrope walker Maxim Kagin performs over Griboyedov Channel next to the Saviour of Spilled Blood Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia, Friday, Aug. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)

A demonstrator carries a photo of a missing person as families gather to ask the government to help locate their missing relatives on International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, in Mexico City, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

Green Bay Packers' J. Michael Sturdivant reacts after catching a touchdown pass during the first half of a preseason NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals Friday, Aug. 28, 2026, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

A Palestinian boy cries over the body of Hamouda al-Attar, who was killed by the Israeli army, during his funeral at al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Amadeo Fusca, winner of the Mayor Zohran Mamdani look-alike contest, takes selfies with the crowd, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

Manchester United's Matheus Cunha celebrates after his team defeated Ipswich Town in an English Premier League soccer match in Manchester, England, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)

Fishermen carry fish, mostly carp during a fish haul of the Kanov pond near the town of Trebon, Czech Republic, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Henderson, Nev.'s Owen Guzman delivers during the first inning of the United States Championship baseball game against Hamilton, Ohio, at the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pa., Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

The body of driver, after a Russian attack struck a warehouse, followed by an explosion, in the village of Myla, Kyiv region, Ukraine, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Dan Bashakov)

A woman walks on a sidewalk at Islamic Revolution street in downtown Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Festivalgoers endure high temperatures at the Daisy Chain Fields Music Festival on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026, at Great Park in Irvine, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Frecce Tricolori, the aerobatic demonstration team of the Italian Air Force, perform at the BIAS International Air Show, in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Supporters of the Yes campaign celebrate after Reykjavik results put their side into a narrow nationwide lead during an election-night gathering in Reykjavik, Iceland, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Di Marco)

A drone view of the aftermath of flash flooding along the Trishuli river amidst fresh water surge warning in the Trishuli Bazaar area of Nuwakot district, Nepal, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Sunmaya Tamang waits outside an army camp for the news of her missing relatives following flash flooding in Nepal's Nuwakot district, Friday, Aug. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. Open's Sunday start gives some players a chance to get a nice head start. For Novak Djokovic, it turned into a stunning head start back to the airport.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion was knocked out in the first round of the U.S. Open for the first time, beaten by Mariano Navone of Argentina 7-6 (5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1.

Djokovic was 19-0 in the U.S. Open first round and hadn't lost his opening match in any major since the 2006 Australian Open.

“It’s a good record, another one. But yeah, I’m not really thinking about it,” Djokovic said. “Of course, I’ve been very proud of all the achievements in the past, but now is now.”

And now the No. 4 seed and four-time champion in Flushing Meadows looks every bit of his 39 years, vomiting and battling leg problems during a match that lasted more than 4 1/2 hours.

“Now I have to recover,” Navone said. "It’s almost 12 o’clock.”

It made for a lengthy first day of play, with Venus Williams and fellow wild card Sofia Kenin not getting on the court until past midnight — after their match was set to move to another stadium but the players decided to wait and keep it in the main venue.

Nearly 12 hours earlier, third-seeded Jessica Pegula again experienced the benefits of the Sunday start that began last year.

“It is a little bit weird, but I did kind of enjoy that I could breathe for the next couple of days and everyone else is still freaking out about whether they’re going to win their first round,” she said.

Djokovic later experienced the downside.

“We were just talking about it, and I said, it’s so nice to play on Sunday when you win. But if you lose it’s not nice, because you feel like the tournament didn’t even start and you’re out of it,” No. 11 seed Marta Kostyuk said.

Pegula and Kostyuk both won easily and now the get the benefit of any extra day of rest before returning for the second round, where Pegula would play either Williams or Kenin.

Pegula leads the women’s tour with 46 wins this season. She has two titles and has reached three other finals. Pegula can become No. 1 in the rankings if she wins her first major title and No. 2 Elena Rybakina loses before the semifinals.

The No. 11-seeded Kostyuk beat Storm Hunter 6-4, 6-1 for a strong start to the year's final major after reaching the semifinals at the French Open and Wimbledon.

Some of the biggest headliners don’t begin until Monday. Two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka plays her opening match against Camila Osorio, before Carlos Alcaraz, who won his second U.S. Open title last year, plays his first singles match since April after recovering from a right wrist injury.

Past U.S. Open champions Naomi Osaka, Iga Swiatek, Sloane Stephens and Stan Wawrinka are also on the Monday schedule, along with Wimbledon women’s champion Linda Noskova and men’s contenders such as Ben Shelton, Arthur Fils, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Frances Tiafoe.

Daniil Medvedev, the 2021 U.S. Open champion, shook off his miserable preparation for the tournament by beating Hugo Gaston 6-4, 6-2, 6-4. The No. 7 seed was just 1-3 in the North American hard-court swing, usually a time he thrives.

“Last couple of weeks was not easy,” Medvedev said. “But I’m happy that today I managed to produce high-level tennis.”

Other winners Sunday included No. 9 Elina Svitolina, No. 19 Jasmine Paolini and No. 31 Leylah Fernandez, the 2021 U.S. Open runner-up. No. 27 seed Barbora Krejcikova, a two-time Grand Slam singles champion, lost 7-6 (4), 6-2 to Kamilla Rakhimova.

American Tommy Paul, the No. 20 seed, bounced back from losing a first-set tiebreak to Coleman Wong to win 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-3, 6-3. Wong a year ago became the first man from Hong Kong to win an Open-era Grand Slam men’s singles match on the way to reaching the round of 32.

Seven matches couldn't be completed because of rain — and one was delayed even though it was being played in the other stadium with a retractable roof. There was a mechanical issue with one of the sensors at Louis Armstrong Stadium, and even after the roof finally closed, the court had to be dried before No. 15 seed Alexander Bublik beat J.J. Wolf.

Maric Cilic, the 2014 U.S. Open champion, and 2022 runner-up Casper Ruud both withdrew with injuries.

Though the main draws didn't begin until Sunday, action at the U.S. Open has already been going on for nearly a week. Large crowds gathered for the mixed doubles tournament, an exhibition headlined by Roger Federer's return to Flushing Meadows and the singles qualifying tournaments, with admission to the grounds free.

Fans who came for the first time Sunday may have noticed a tournament in transition. The U.S. Open is in the second year of a three-year renovation of Arthur Ashe Stadium, the main venue at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The improvements in the $800 million project include the addition of some lower-level seating, upgrades and additions of entertainment areas and the construction of a player performance center.

“Please pardon our appearance while we are reimagining spectacular,” reads a sign above the entrance to Ashe.

The project is scheduled to be completed in time for the 2027 U.S. Open.

See AP’s full tennis coverage here

Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, reacts during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships against Mariano Navone, of Argentina, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Daniil Medvedev, of Russia, returns the ball to Hugo Gaston, of France, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Marta Kostyuk, of Ukraine, reacts following a match against Storm Hunter, of Australia, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)

Jessica Pegula, of the United States, gestures after she defeated Elena-Gabriela Ruse, of Romania, in the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Jessica Pegula, of the United States, returns the ball to Elena-Gabriela Ruse, of Romania, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Jessica Pegula, of the United States, returns the ball to Elena-Gabriela Ruse, of Romania, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Barbora Krejcikova, of the Czech Republic, returns the ball to Kamilla Rakhimova, of Uzbekistan, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Jasmine Paolini, of Italy, reacts during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships against Veronika Erjavec, of Slovenia, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)