The opening week of the US Open delivered major shocks to the men's draw as several high-profile seeded players were eliminated from the tournament. Among the prominent casualties was American star Taylor Fritz, who had reached the final at Flushing Meadows in 2024. He was unable to defend a strong position against Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo, bowing out in a stunning comeback defeat.
Taylor Fritz Suffers Stunning Defeat
Taylor Fritz was in complete command early in the match and secured an early break in the third set, looking well on his way to the fourth round. However, Francisco Cerundolo orchestrated a remarkable turnaround, claiming a 3-6 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-4 victory to advance further in the tournament. Following the match, Fritz expressed deep frustration, admitting he was at a loss for words and needed time away from everyone before returning to training. He noted that he simply could not explain how a commanding lead slipped away from his grasp.
Flavio Cobolli Exits After Collapse
Shortly after the American's exit, fifth seed Flavio Cobolli of Italy was also knocked out of the competition following a defeat against Belgium's Alexander Blockx. After narrowly edging the first set on a tie-break, Cobolli lost momentum entirely, losing the third set to love in just 20 minutes on his way to a 7-6 (7-4) 3-6 0-6 3-6 loss. The Italian later conceded that his energy levels were lower than usual and that he felt fatigued under pressure. He praised his opponent, acknowledging that Alexander Blockx deserved the victory. Cerundolo and Blockx are now set to face each other in the fourth round with a quarter-final spot on the line.
The tournament has witnessed a massive exodus of top seeds, opening the draw significantly. Fourth seed Novak Djokovic faced a tearful exit following a five-set loss to the world number 49. Tenth seed Arthur Fils was another early casualty, falling in four sets to former world number three Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece. The highest-ranked singles player to be ousted so far is Canada's third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, who lost in the second round to Karen Khachanov, matching the stage where sixth seed Alex de Minaur was beaten.
Doubles Action and Remaining Draw
In men's doubles competition, the British pair of Arthur Fery and Joshua Paris advanced by defeating India's Anirudh Chandrasekar and Ivan Liutarevich 6-4 5-7 6-4. British player Neal Skupski and American partner Christian Harrison also progressed past the French duo Arthur Reymond and Luca Sanchez with a 6-0 7-6 (7-3) victory. However, David Stevenson and Marcus Willis faced disappointment after losing to France's 11th seeds Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul. With numerous seeds now out, top seed Alexander Zverev faces a clearer path through the top half of the draw.
