Cancer survivor Alisa Kleybanova enjoyed a winning return to Grand Slam tennis on Monday at the US Open, but pleaded with fans not to pity her after her courageous battle for survival.

The 24-year-old Russian was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphona in 2011, an illness that forced her off the tour until three months ago.

Kleybanova, who once reached No 20 in the world but now stands at No 363 in the rankings, marked her first major appearance in more than two years with a 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 win over No 44 Monica Puig of Puerto Rico.