Cerundolo Will Always Remember His First Ashe Stadium Victory At US Open

Francisco Cerundolo
Francisco Cerundolo (photo: Jürgen Hasenkopf)

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON, September 6, 2026 (by Michael Dickens)

Francisco Cerundolo had never played on Arthur Ashe Stadium, the biggest tennis cathedral in the world, until Saturday when he faced No. 9 seed Taylor Fritz as Day 7 of the US Open got underway at Flushing Meadows.

After losing the first two sets to the American No. 2 and 2024 US Open finalist, the 24th-seeded Argentine went to work and pulled off a remarkable reverse sweep of this third-round encounter. He won the last three sets playing in his second-straight five-setter and triumphed over the favored Fritz, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, in three hours and 40 minutes to advance to the second week of the year’s final major for the first time.

It’s an afternoon that Cerundolo will not soon forget – he won 13 of the final 16 points of the match – and one that Fritz will be left to think about what might have been.

 

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Cerundolo capitalized on his opportunities when they mattered most in coming back from two-sets-to-none down for the second time in his career. He broke Fritz for the sixth time in 19 opportunities – and it was the only break conversion of the final set. By the end, Cerundolo held his serve – and his nerve – and won to advance to the fourth round of the US Open for the first time. For Fritz, it was his earliest US Open departure since 2022 – and his second loss in three career meetings against Cerundolo.

“He was playing way better than me the first two sets,” Cerundolo said during his on-court interview. “I wasn’t feeling comfortable at all. But after I broke back in the third, I started getting into it step by step, and I think the fourth and fifth I played really good tennis. I wasn’t finding that tennis in the previous sets or previous rounds.”

By the conclusion, Cerundolo had found his timing and rhythm, while Fritz had lost his. Cerundolo struck 41 winners – including 10 aces – and won 81 percent (69 of 85) of his first-serve points. He committed 54 unforced errors – the same number as Fritz – and saved seven of 12 break points he faced. Fritz outpointed Cerundolo 150-148 but it didn’t matter in the end. 

The loss ended a 10-1 run on US soil since July for Fritz, which included winning the DC Open title, and he was denied in his bid to reach the US Open round of 16 for the fourth consecutive year and to reach the fourth round at a Grand Slam for the third time this season.

“Taylor is a top player. He made the final here and won a lot of matches, so I know how hard it is to play against him,” added Cerundolo, who is the second player from Argentina to advance to the fourth round, joining Tomas Martin Etcheverry. “But winning here, on my first time on Ashe, is fantastic.”

Next, Cerundolo will face No. 28 seed Alexander Blockx of Belgium, who came from a set down to eliminate World No. 6 and fifth seed Flavio Cobolli of Italy, 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-0, 6-3, in two hours and 45 minutes on Louis Armstrong Stadium to continue his remarkable run in his US Open main draw debut.

Blockx became the first Belgian man to earn a Top-10 victory at the US Open since Oliver Rochus upset Carlos Moya in 2000.

Seeded for the first time at a Grand Slam, the 21-year-old Blockx secured his second Top-10 win of his career after defeating No. 5 Felix Auger-Aliassime in Madrid earlier this season. A year ago, he was ranked 116th. Now, he’s No. 34 after reaching a career-high No. 32 last month.

Against Cobolli, Blockx fired 17 aces and hit 41 overall winners. He won 86 percent (48 of 56) of his first-serve points and converted eight of 21 break-point opportunities. Blockx outpointed Cobolli 136-91.

“I think this was one of my craziest experiences so far in my career,” Blockx said during his on-court interview. “The atmosphere was amazing and after the first set I told myself to stay calm. I wasn’t playing bad; I know deep inside I am a fighter and I will fight until the last ball and it paid off today.”

 

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Potapova through to US Open second week for first time

No. 24 seed Anastasia Potapova had never reached the second week of the US Open in six previous appearances. Saturday afternoon, that changed for the Russia-born Austrian, who took out No. 10 seed and last year’s finalist Amanda Anisimova of the United States, 6-2, 7-5, in one hour and 39 minutes on Louis Armstrong Stadium to advance to the fourth round for the third time in a major.

The 25th-ranked Potapova converted six of eight break points during the third-round match and it was her final one that enabled her to serve out the victory to move into the round of 16 of the US Open for the first time. Despite hitting just eight winners compared to 22 for her opponent, she outpointed the World No. 10 Anisimova 78-63 en route to her 26th victory of the season. The American No. 3 committed 46 unforced errors.

During her on-court interview, Potapova was complimented for her fearless game. Does that extend to off the court, too? “Yes, I’m a little bit crazy, but in a good way,” she said. “I’m probably not scared of anything. I’m always looking for adrenaline in my life. I’m super excited for the next one.”

Next, Potapova will face No. 5 seed Mirra Andreeva of Russia, who beat No. 34 Nikola Bartunkova of Czechia, 6-2, 7-6 (5), in one hour and 38 minutes on Stadium 17 to reach the fourth round of the US Open for the first time. Andreeva hit 25 winners and outpointed Bartunkova 75-59 in garnering her 43rd victory of the season.

Monfils feted after Grand Slam career ends in New York

When 40-year-old Gaël Monfils lost his second-round match to No. 14 seed Learner Tien of the United States, 6-3, 6-4, 6-3, Thursday on Louis Armstrong Stadium, it ended the popular Frenchman’s Grand Slam career, which included 18 US Open appearances. From his 2005 debut to making history at age 40, Monfils was widely regarded as one of the greatest entertainers that tennis had ever seen. He left behind a New York story to remember and received a hero’s farewell from the US Open crowd that filled the second-largest show court at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

“I want to thank you all,” Monfils said on court during a post-match ceremony. “It has been a long ride. I came here in 2003 for the juniors for the first time and here I am in 2026, so it’s a helluva long ride. I felt all the love and I can tell you that you guys are my second-best crowd, of course after Paris, but you are up there, so thank you so much.”

USTA CEO Craig Tiley and US Open tournament director Eric Butorac presented Monfils with a special framed picture during the on-court ceremony. While no tears were visible from Monfils, there were plenty of smiles and laughs.

“It’s been an absolute honor for me to play all these years in front of you,” said Monfils, who turned 40 and celebrated his birthday Tuesday with a first-round victory over Adolfo Daniel Vallejo of Paraguay. “I tried my best and tried to perform high-performance tennis, but also give you a great show. You guys give me great love, I will never forget that.”

Around the US Open

Men’s notable results:

• No. 21 seed Luciano Darderi of Italy ended the run of 123rd-ranked Australian wild card Dane Sweeny with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 win in two hours and 13 minutes on Court 5. It was their first tour-level meeting and it’s the second time Darderi has reached the fourth round of a major following his success at the Australian Open last January.

Darderi’s victory ensured an Italian presence in the fourth round of a major for the 30th consecutive Grand Slam.

Next, Darderi will face World No. 3 and top seed Alexander Zverev of Germany, who advanced to the fourth round with a 6-2, 7-6 (2), 6-2 victory over No. 25 seed Alejandro Tabilo of Chile in two hours and 26 minutes Saturday evening on Arthur Ashe Stadium. Zverev hit 10 aces and recorded 44 winners overall. He converted six of 13 break points and outpointed Tabilo 106-80.

 

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• No. 50 Karen Khachanov of Russia advanced to the fourth round with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 victory over 97th-ranked Benjamin Bonzi of France in two hours and 10 minutes on Stadium 17.

Khachanov struck 28 winners, including 12 aces, and converted five of 10 break points against Bonzi. He outpointed the Frenchman 99-77.

Next, Khachanov will face No. 14 seed Learner Tien of the United States, who rallied from two-sets-to-one down and pulled out a 6-3, 1-6-, 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-4 victory over No. 17 seed Jakub Mensik of Czechia in three hours and 24 minutes early Sunday morning close to 1:30 a.m. on Louis Armstrong Stadium. 

Tien withstood 23 aces and 55 winners from Mensik and hit 35 winners of his own and converted seven of 14 break points. Mensik outpointed Tien 155-150.

“I want to thank everyone for staying late,” Tien said during his on-court interview. “If the stadium was empty, I’m not sure if I would have won the match. … It is incredible. There’s really no place like here. I am super pumped that everyone came out and supported me tonight.”

Women’s notable results:

• No. 4 seed and American No. 2 Coco Gauff was locked in throughout much of her third-round match against No. 40 Cristina Bucsa of Spain on Arthur Ashe Stadium Saturday afternoon. By the end, the 2023 US Open champion and two-time major titlist prevailed 6-3, 6-4 over the Spaniard in one hour and 28 minutes to move into the fourth round at a Grand Slam event for the 19th time in her career and for the fifth-consecutive time at the US Open.

The 22-year-old Gauff became the fifth American in the Open Era to reach five-plus consecutive fourth rounds at the US Open before turning 23, after Chris Evert, Tracy Austin, Pam Shriver and Venus Williams.

“It was way different playing in the day than at night,” Gauff said during her on-court interview. “I think I was decelerating a little bit, just because it’s a little bit faster. But once I was down that break, I just told myself I need to accelerate through my shots.

“She’s a tricky player. She can sometimes speed it up and slow it down. So it was tough for me to get a rhythm, but I’m just happy with how I fought through even when I wasn’t playing my best.”

Gauff won 74 percent (20 of 27) of her first-serve points, hit 15 winners and converted four of nine break points. She outpointed Bucsa 72-54.

 

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Next, Gauff will face No. 14 seed Iva Jovic of the United States, who rallied from 2-4 down in the final set to pull out a 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 victory over No. 17 seed Alexandra Eala of the Philippines in three hours and three minutes Saturday evening on Arthur Ashe Stadium for her third career win over the 21-year-old Filipina star.

Just 10 points separated the two friends over the course of their third-round match. The 18-year-old Jovic outpointed Eala 112-102. She struck 44 winners to 27 unforced errors, compared to 34 winners and 33 unforced errors by the World No. 18 Eala. Jovic converted nine of 17 break points, while Eala won eight of 20 break-point opportunities.

Now, Jovic is a win away from equaling her best major performance when she reached the quarterfinals at the Australian Open earlier this year.

• Qualifier Zheng Qinwen of China, ranked 121st, rallied from 0-5 down in the final set against No. 22 seed Madison Keys of the United States and won the final seven games of the third-round match and prevailed, 1-6, 7-6 (3), 7-5, in two hours and 28 minutes on the Grandstand.

In the final game, Zheng rallied to win the last three points of the match after Keys missed three straight forehand returns. She fell to the ground in celebration after winning, outpointing Keys 98-97.

“I just told myself, ‘Keep holding, never give up, hang in there,’ and somehow, little by little, it just happened,” said Zheng, who has strung together six consecutive wins (three in qualifying and three in the main draw). “I think brave is the word for today.”

During her post-match news conference, Keys was brutally honest in describing her feelings after failing multiple times to close out the match. “Tennis just feels really hard right now, so I feel like that kind of took over,” she said. “I’m sure everyone could kind of see that I was struggling a little bit, but inside it felt probably even bigger than that.”

Next, Zheng will face 2022 US Open champion Iga Swiatek of Poland. The No. 8 seed Swiatek fought past No. 25 seed Marie Bouzkova of Czechia, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (3), in two hours and 27 minutes on the Grandstand to reach her sixth-straight US Open fourth round.

Swiatek hit 35 winners and won 15 of 17 (88 percent) of her net-point exchanges. She outpointed Bouzkova 91-86 in improving to 4-0 lifetime against the Czech. It was Swiatek’s 36th victory of the season and she’s won 13 of her last 14 matches.

• The US Open is Naomi Osaka‘s favorite tournament. She’s won it twice, in 2018 and 2020, after all. So, it matters to her that she plays well at Flushing Meadows.

Under the Saturday evening lights of Louis Armstrong Stadium, the World No. 13 Osaka from Japan beat 20th seed Elise Mertens of Belgium for the seventh time in 10 career meetings – but it took the former World No. 1 four match points to win 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, not to mention two hours and 38 minutes, too.

The No. 13-seed Osaka finished her third-round win by hitting 39 winners to offset 41 unforced errors and she converted four of 16 break points. Osaka outpointed Mertens 111-107 en route to her 28th  victory of the season. Now, she’s into her fifth career US Open round of 16.

“Honestly, I didn’t feel like I played amazing and it was really getting me down, like I was very negative on myself,” Osaka said during her on-court interview. “So, I’m really sorry about my behavior, for the little kids watching, I’m really sorry.

“This is my favorite tournament so I really wanted to play well in front of you guys. I’m really glad that I have an opportunity to player another match.”

Next, Osaka will face World No. 2 and second seed Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, who beat No. 58 Yuliia Starodubtseva of Ukraine, 7-6 (6), 6-3, in one hour and 52 minutes in back of 12 aces and 33 winners on the Grandstand Saturday night.

 

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Saturday’s US Open results

Sunday’s US Open order of play

By the numbers

• For the first time since 2003, all of the Top 10 women’s seeds reached the third round of the US Open. While there have been upsets in the draw, the last six women to win majors are are still in contention for this year’s US Open title: Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, Mirra Andreeva and Linda Noskova.

• A combined 15 American men and women reached the third round (round of 32) in singles at this year’s US Open. That’s the most since 2002. 

One of the biggest surprises has been wild card Michael Zheng, a two-time NCAA champion at nearby Columbia University in New York City, located about seven miles from the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Zheng has been a popular draw among fans during the first week of this year’s US Open.

On Saturday afternoon, the 107th-ranked Zheng was featured on the Grandstand against 87th-ranked Arthur Gea of France. They fought back and forth for three hours and 55 minutes. By the end, Gea came out ahead of Zheng and won, 7-6 (7), 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. Tea hit 51 winners and outpointed Zheng 170-154.

Next, Gea will face No. 70 Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands, who outlasted No. 31 seed Zizou Bergs of Belgium, 3-6. 7-6 (3), 4-6, 7-6 (6), 6-3, in four hours and 29 minute on Stadium 17.

“Quotable …”

“I don’t even know what to say. I don’t really want to talk to anybody, see anybody. I kind of just need to get out for a couple days and get back to work. I don’t know how I let that happen today.”

– No. 9 seed Taylor Fritz of the United States, during his post-match news conference after dropping a two-sets-to-none lead and losing in five sets to Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina on Arthur Ashe Stadium Saturday afternoon.

“That second set was tough. I was serving for the set twice and ended up losing the set when I felt like I was in control. I really had to reset and refocus. It was important for me to get the next two sets and not be out here in a five-set war. I am happy with the way I recovered.”

– No. 8 seed Ben Shelton of the United States, during his on-court interview after defeating Denis Shapovalov of Canada in four sets on Arthur Ashe Stadium in a match that ended at 2:08 a.m. Saturday morning.

 

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