Coco Gauff gave the home crowd a reason to celebrate at the US Open by moving into the fourth round, even as fellow Americans Taylor Fritz, Amanda Anisimova and Madison Keys suffered unexpected defeats. The 2023 champion, now 22, was paired against 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 16 competitors. Her next opponent will be fellow American Iva Jovic, and the winner of that match will earn a spot in the quarter‑finals.

"Playing in daylight feels completely different from playing under the lights," Gauff reflected after the match. "When I fell behind early in the second set, I told myself I had to speed up my shots and take control.

Bucsa is a crafty player who can change the tempo and slow the game down, which made it hard for me to find my 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 on the women’s side, the men’s draw saw a series of shock results.

Taylor Fritz, the 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 the US Open runner‑up two years ago, had not dropped a set all week and seemed on track to join compatriots Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul and Alex Michelsen in the round of 16. However, Cerundolo, who had stunned the tennis world earlier in the summer by winning the Queen’s Club tournament, rallied from two sets down to claim a dramatic five‑set victory, 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 triumph in 2003, when he defeated Juan Carlos Ferrero in the final. Meanwhile, 20th seed 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 comeback from injury.

Paul remarked, "I think I’ve played Carlos more than anyone else on tour, which is crazy. He and Jannik Sinner are the big tests right now. We’ve had some good matches, and even though we haven’t seen a lot of him lately, he’s clearly back in form." Top‑seed Alexander Zverev also advanced without trouble, dispatching Alejandro Tabilo 6-2, 7-6, 6-2 to reach the fourth round. The world No.

2 will meet 25th‑seeded Luciano Darderi, who earned his first US Open fourth‑round appearance by beating Australian wildcard Dane Sweeny in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3. Fourteenth seed Learner Tien produced a gritty five‑set win, 6-3, 1-6, 6-7, 6-3, 6-4, over Jakub Mensik, setting up a clash with veteran Karen Khachanov. Tien’s marathon 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 Roddick’s run in 2002, matching that historic milestone.

In another notable upset, Belgian 28th seed Alexander Blockx defeated Italy’s fifth seed Flavio Cobolli 6-7 (4-7), 6-3, 6-0, 6-3, earning a place in the fourth round where he will face Cerundolo again. On the women’s side, former finalist Madison Keys endured a heartbreaking loss after squandering a sizable lead.

The 31‑year‑old fell to China’s Qinwen Zheng 1-6, 7-6 (7-3), 7-5, admitting after the match, "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 runner‑up last year, also exited early, committing 46 unforced errors in a 6-2, 7-5 defeat to Austria’s Anastasia Potapova. Meanwhile, Russian fifth seed Mirra Andreeva, the French Open champion, beat Czech Nikola Bartunkova 6-2, 7-6 (7-5) to secure her first US Open fourth‑round appearance, and will next meet Potapova.

Six‑time Grand Slam champion Iga Świątek dug deep to overcome Czech 25th seed Marie Bouzkova 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-3). The 25‑year‑old noted, "It was very physical with many long rallies. It wasn’t easy," but the win propelled her into the fourth round, where she will face Zheng. In doubles, 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 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 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.