Coco Gauff gave the home crowd a reason to celebrate at the US Open, securing her place in the fourth round on a day that saw fellow Americans Taylor Fritz, Amanda Anisimova and Madison Keys suffer surprising defeats. The 2023 champion, now 22, was matched against world No. 40 Cristina Bucsa. Though she was not at her most fluid, Gauff managed to grind out a 6-3, 6-4 victory, earning a spot in the round of 16.
Her next opponent will be fellow U.S. player Iva Jovic, with a quarter‑final berth on the line. "Playing in daylight feels completely different from night matches," Gauff reflected after the win. "When I fell behind early in the break, I told myself I needed to speed up my shots and take control." She added, "Bucsa is a crafty opponent who can change the tempo and make you lose rhythm.
Even though I wasn’t playing my best tennis, I’m pleased with how I fought through the tough moments." While Gauff’s triumph lifted American spirits, the day was otherwise marked by the abrupt exits of three other U.S. stars. Fritz, the tournament’s ninth seed, 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 earlier, had not dropped a set all week and seemed poised to join Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul and Alex Michelsen in the last 16. However, Cerundolo, fresh off a surprise win at Queen’s Club earlier in the summer, clawed his way back into the match, turning it into a five‑set thriller and ultimately prevailing 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.
The United States is still searching for its first men’s singles champion since Andy Roddick’s 2003 victory over Juan Carlos Ferrero. Meanwhile, 20th‑seed Tommy Paul is set to face world No.
2 Carlos Alcaraz in what should be a genuine test of the defending champion’s title credentials after his recent injury layoff. Paul noted, "I think I’ve played Carlos more than anyone on tour, which is kind of crazy.
He and Jannik Sinner are the big tests now. We’ve had some good matches, and although we haven’t seen a lot of Carlos recently, he’s clearly back in form." Top seed Alexander Zverev also moved comfortably into the fourth round, dispatching Alejandro Tabilo 6-2, 7-6, 6-2. The German’s next challenge will be against 25th‑seed Luciano Darderi, who earned his first fourth‑round appearance at a hard‑court major by beating Australian wildcard Dane Sweeny 6-4, 6-3, 6-3.
Fourteenth‑seed Learner Tien survived a grueling five‑set battle, edging out Jakub Mensik 6-3, 1-6, 6-7, 6-3, 6-4 to set up a clash with veteran Karen Khachanov. Tien’s win was historic: at 20 years old, he matched Andy Roddick’s 2002 record as the youngest American to reach the US Open fourth round.
The match concluded in the early hours of Sunday morning, with the decisive point coming just after 1:30 a.m. local time. In another upset, Belgian 28th‑seed Alexander Blockx defeated Italy’s fifth‑seed Flavio Cobolli 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-0, 6-3, securing his place in the fourth round where he will meet Argentina’s 24th‑seed Cerundolo.
Madison Keys, the 2017 runner‑up, left the court dejected after surrendering a solid lead to lose 1-6, 7-6(7-3), 7-5 to China’s Qinwen Zheng. The 31‑year‑old explained, "I started strong, but then I got scared and couldn’t swing freely.
Tennis feels really hard right now, and that anxiety took over." Amanda Anisimova, last year’s finalist, was overwhelmed by 46 unforced errors in a 6-2, 7-5 loss to Austrian Anastasia Potapova. Meanwhile, French Open champion Mirra Andreeva (Russia) beat Czech Nikola Bartunkova 6-2, 7-6(5) to advance to her first US Open fourth round, where she will meet Potapova again. Six‑time Grand Slam winner Iga Świątek dug deep to overcome Czech 25th‑seed Marie Bouzkova 7-6(3), 7-6(3), earning her spot in the fourth round. The 25‑year‑old noted, "The match was very physical with many long rallies.
It wasn’t easy, but I managed to stay focused." In the doubles arena, the Williams sisters avoided a fine for not speaking to the media after their loss. Serena and Venus were defeated in three tight sets by the pair of Maya Joint and Chan Hao‑ching in their first match at Flushing Meadows in four years. Although players are typically penalised for neglecting media duties, officials indicated the Williamses would not be punished in this instance. The US Open continues to be broadcast live on Sky Sports from August 30.
Viewers can stream matches without a contract via NOW and the Sky Sports app, and the Laver Cup will also be shown live from The O2 in London between September 25‑27 on Sky Sports.