Coco Gauff gave the home crowd a reason to celebrate at the US Open, moving into the fourth round on a day that saw fellow Americans Taylor Fritz, Amanda Anisimova and Madison Keys suffer unexpected losses. The 2023 US Open champion, now 22, faced world No.

40 Cristina Bucsa. Although she was not playing at her absolute peak, Gauff managed to grind out a 6-3, 6-4 victory, securing her place among the last sixteen competitors.

Her next challenge will be against compatriot Iva Jovic, with a quarter‑final berth on the line. Gauff reflected on the match, noting the stark contrast between daytime and nighttime conditions. "When I fell behind early in the second set, I reminded myself to speed up my shots," she said.

"Bucsa is a crafty opponent who can change the pace of a rally, which made it difficult for me to find a rhythm. Still, I’m pleased with how I fought through even when I wasn’t at my best." While Gauff’s progress was a bright spot for the United States, the overall American campaign stumbled after the surprising defeats of Fritz, Keys and Anisimova.

Taylor Fritz, seeded ninth, appeared to be cruising toward the fourth round after taking a two‑set lead over Argentina’s Federico Cerundolo. The 28‑year‑old, who was runner‑up two years ago, had not dropped a set all week and seemed poised to join fellow countrymen Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul and Alex Michelsen in the last‑16 field. However, Cerundolo, fresh off an unexpected victory at Queen’s Club earlier in the summer, clawed his way back into the match, turning it into a grueling five‑setter that ended 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in his favor. The loss kept the United States from adding another men’s singles champion to its tally since Andy Roddick’s 2003 triumph over Juan Carlos Ferrero.

In the men’s draw, 20th‑seeded Tommy Paul now faces world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz in what promises to be a genuine test of the defending champion’s credentials after his recent injury layoff. Paul commented, "I think I’ve played Carlos more than anyone else on tour, which is kind of crazy.

We’ve had some good matches. He and Jannik Sinner are the real tests – they’ve been playing great, and although we haven’t seen too much of Carlos recently, he’s clearly coming back strong." Top seed Alexander Zverev cruised into the fourth round with a straight‑sets win over Alejandro Tabilo, 6-2, 7-6, 6-2, setting up a clash with 25th‑seed Luciano Darderi, who earned his first US Open fourth‑round appearance by defeating Australian wild‑card Dane Sweeny 6-4, 6-3, 6-3. Fourteenth‑seed Learner Tien also advanced after a marathon battle against Jakub Mensik, prevailing 6-3, 1-6, 6-7, 6-3, 6-4.

The five‑set duel stretched into the early hours of Sunday morning, with Tien sealing the win just after 1:30 a.m. local time. At 20, Tien became the youngest American to reach the US Open fourth round since Andy Roddick’s 2002 run, matching that historic record.

In the women's draw, Belgian 28th‑seed Alexander Blockx upset Italy’s fifth‑seed Flavio Cobolli, winning 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-0, 6-3 to move into the fourth round, where he will meet Argentina’s 24th‑seed Cerundolo. Madison Keys, the 2017 US Open runner‑up, was left devastated after squandering a solid lead to fall 1-6, 7-6(7-3), 7-5 to China’s Qinwen Zheng. Keys admitted, "I started strong, but then I got scared and couldn’t swing.

Tennis feels really hard right now, and that fear took over." Amanda Anisimova, who was the finalist last year, committed 46 unforced errors in a 6-2, 7-5 loss to Austria’s Anastasia Potapova, ending her run earlier than expected. Other notable performances included French Open champion Mirra Andreeva, the Russian fifth seed, who beat Czech Nikola Bartunkova 6-2, 7-6(5) to reach the fourth round for the first time at Flushing Meadows. And six‑time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek dug deep to defeat 25th‑seed Marie Bouzkova 7-6(3), 7-6(3), advancing to the next stage where she will meet Zheng.

Swiatek described the match as physically demanding, saying, "There were many long rallies. It wasn’t easy." In doubles, the legendary Williams sisters avoided a fine for refusing to speak to the media after a three‑set loss to Maya Joint and Chan Hao‑ching in their first match at Flushing Meadows in four years.

Normally, players are penalised for neglecting media duties, but officials have indicated that the Williamses will not be punished in this instance. The US Open continues to be broadcast live on Sky Sports from August 30, with streaming options available on NOW and the Sky Sports app. Fans in London can also catch the Laver Cup at The O2 from September 25‑27, with live coverage on Sky Sports.