Coco Gauff gave the home crowd a reason to celebrate at the US Open, securing her place in the fourth round while her fellow Americans Taylor Fritz, Amanda Anisimova and Madison Keys suffered unexpected losses. The 2023 champion, now 22, was paired against world No.

40 Cristina Bucsa. Although Gauff was not playing at the level she would have liked, she managed to outlast her opponent with a 6-3, 6-4 victory, earning a spot in the round of 16. Her next challenge will be a quarter‑final showdown with fellow American Iva Jovic.

"Playing in daylight is a completely different experience than under the lights," Gauff reflected after the match. "When I fell behind early in the second set, I reminded myself to speed up my shots and stay aggressive." She added, "Bucsa is a crafty opponent who can change the pace of a rally at any moment, 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 win kept the American hopes alive, the day was otherwise marked by a series of shocking upsets for the host nation. Ninth‑seed Taylor Fritz 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 a finalist two years earlier, had not dropped a set all week and seemed poised to join compatriots Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul and Alex Michelsen in the last 16. However, Cerundolo, fresh off a surprise victory at Queen’s Club earlier in the summer, mounted a dramatic comeback, turning the match into a five‑setter that ended 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in his favor.

The United States continues its search for a male champion, a feat not achieved since Andy Roddick’s 2003 triumph over Juan Carlos Ferrero. Meanwhile, 20th‑seed Tommy Paul is slated to face world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz in what many expect to be the first true test of Alcaraz’s title credentials after his recent injury layoff.

Paul remarked, "I’ve played Carlos more than anyone else on tour, which is kind of crazy. He and Jannik Sinner are the real tests now. We’ve had some great matches, and while we haven’t seen a lot of Carlos recently, he’s clearly back in form." Top‑seed Alexander Zverev also breezed into the fourth round, defeating Alejandro Tabilo 6-2, 7-6, 6-2, and will meet 25th‑seed Luciano Darderi, who earned his first fourth‑round appearance at a hard‑court major by beating Australian wild‑card Dane Sweeny 6-4, 6-3, 6-3.

Fourteenth‑seed Learner Tien survived a grueling five‑set battle against Jakub Mensik, prevailing 6-3, 1-6, 6-7, 6-3, 6-4. The match stretched into the early hours of Sunday morning, concluding around 1:30 a.m. in New York. At 20, Tien became the youngest American to reach the US Open fourth round since Andy Roddick set the benchmark in 2002.

His victory sets up a clash with Russian veteran Karen Khachanov. In another surprise, Belgian 28th‑seed Alexander Blockx upset Italy’s fifth‑seed Flavio Cobolli with a scoreline of 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-0, 6-3, earning a place in the fourth round where he will face Argentina’s 24th‑seed Cerundolo. On the women’s side, former runner‑up Madison Keys, 31, saw a sizable lead evaporate as she fell 1-6, 7-6(3), 7-5 to China’s Qinwen Zheng. Keys admitted, "I started strong but then got scared and couldn’t swing freely.

Tennis felt really hard for me in those moments, and that fear took over." Last year’s finalist Amanda Anisimova also struggled, committing 46 unforced errors in a 6-2, 7-5 loss to Austria’s Anastasia Potapova. Meanwhile, Russian fifth‑seed Mirra Andreeva, a French Open champion, defeated Czech Nikola Bartunkova 6-2, 7-6(5) to reach the fourth round for the first time at Flushing Meadows, where she will meet Potapova again. Six‑time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek dug deep to overcome Czech 25th‑seed Marie Bouzkova 7-6(3), 7-6(3). The 25‑year‑old noted, "The match was very physical with long rallies.

It wasn’t easy, but I managed to stay focused and pull through." She will next face Zheng. In doubles news, the Williams sisters avoided a fine for refusing to speak to the media after their defeat.

Serena and Venus were beaten in three tightly contested sets by the Taiwanese pair Maya Joint and Chan Hao‑ching in their first match at Flushing Meadows in four years. While players are typically penalised for neglecting media duties, 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.

Viewers can stream matches without a contract on 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.