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

40 Cristina Bucsa. Although she was not at her peak, Gauff managed to secure a straight‑sets win, 6‑3, 6‑4, and earned a place in the round of 16. Her next challenge will be a quarter‑final berth against fellow U.S.

player Iva Jovic. Speaking after the match, Gauff reflected on the shift in conditions from day to night play. "When I fell behind early in the break, I told myself I needed to speed up my shots," she explained. She added, "Bucsa is a crafty opponent who can vary the pace, which made it difficult for me to find a rhythm.

Still, I’m pleased with how I fought through even when I wasn’t playing my best tennis." While Gauff’s performance lifted American spirits, the day was also marked by dramatic upsets for the men’s and women’s draws. 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, 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, who had stunned the tennis world with a Queen’s Club title earlier in the summer, rallied from the brink, turning the match into a five‑set thriller and ultimately prevailing 3‑6, 4‑6, 6‑3, 6‑4, 6‑4.

The United States continues its search for a male champion, a title last claimed in 2003 when Andy Roddick defeated Juan Carlos Ferrero. In the meantime, 20th‑seeded Tommy Paul will face 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 remarked, "I think I’ve played Carlos more than anyone on tour, which is crazy.

He and Jannik Sinner are the big tests now. We’ve had good matches, and while we haven’t seen a lot of Carlos recently, he’s clearly back in form." Top seed Alexander Zverev also advanced comfortably, dispatching Alejandro Tabilo 6‑2, 7‑6, 6‑2 to reach the fourth round. His next opponent will be 25th‑seed Luciano Darderi, who earned his spot by beating Australian wildcard Dane Sweeny 6‑4, 6‑3, 6‑3 – a first‑time appearance in the fourth round of a hard‑court major for Darderi. Fourteenth‑seeded Learner Tien survived a grueling five‑set battle against Jakub Mensik, winning 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 years old, Tien became the youngest American to reach the US Open fourth round since Andy Roddix set the benchmark in 2002, matching that historic achievement. In another surprise, Belgium’s 28th‑seed Alexander Blockx upset Italy’s fifth‑seed Flavio Cobolli with a 6‑7(4‑7), 6‑3, 6‑0, 6‑3 victory, earning a place in the round of 16 where he will meet Cerundolo again. On the women’s side, former finalist Madison Keys, 31, was left devastated after surrendering a solid lead to China’s Qinwen Zheng, falling 1‑6, 7‑6(7‑3), 7‑5.

Keys admitted, "I started strong, but then I got scared and couldn’t swing. Tennis feels really hard right now, and that anxiety took over." Amanda Anisimova, last year’s runner‑up, also exited early, committing 46 unforced errors in a 6‑2, 7‑5 loss to Austria’s Anastasia Potapova. Meanwhile, Russian fifth‑seed Mirra Andreeva defeated Czech Nikola Bartunkova 6‑2, 7‑6(7‑5) to reach her first US Open fourth round, where she will face Potapova again.

Six‑time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek dug deep to overcome Czech 25th‑seed Marie Bouzkova 7‑6(7‑3), 7‑6(7‑3). The 25‑year‑old noted, "It got pretty physical with many long rallies. It wasn’t easy," and will next meet Zheng.

In doubles news, the Williams sisters avoided a fine for declining media interviews after their loss. Serena and Venus were beaten in three tight sets by the pair of Maya Joint and Chan Hao‑ching in their first match at Flushing Meadows in four years. While players are typically penalised for not fulfilling media obligations, officials indicated the Williamses would not be punished this time.

The US Open continues to be broadcast live on Sky Sports from August 30, with streaming available on NOW and the Sky Sports app. Fans can also catch the Laver Cup at The O2 in London from September 25‑27, also on Sky Sports.