US Open 2026: Days 6 & 7 — Alcaraz, Gauff and Swiatek march on as American hopes suffer a major blow

 

The sixth and seventh days of the 2026 US Open produced a compelling mixture of commanding performances, dramatic comebacks and major upsets at Flushing Meadows. While Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek continued their impressive progress, the American contingent endured a dramatic reversal of fortunes on Day 7. 

Day 6 — Friday, September 4

Alcaraz continues impressive comeback

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz continued his highly encouraging return from a four-month injury layoff with a dominant 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 victory over China's Yibing Wu.

The second seed produced another authoritative display and moved into the fourth round without dropping a set. His performance suggested that the Spaniard is rapidly rediscovering the form that made him one of the tournament favourites. 

Sabalenka remains ruthless

Women's top seed Aryna Sabalenka also maintained her perfect start, defeating Kamilla Rakhimova 6-3, 6-4.

Sabalenka has now reached the fourth round without losing a set, underlining her status as one of the principal contenders for the women's title. 

Pegula fights back

American third seed Jessica Pegula survived a stern examination from Canada's Leylah Fernandez, recovering from a disastrous first set to win 1-6, 6-4, 6-3.

The victory demonstrated Pegula's resilience and ensured that she advanced to the second week of the tournament. 

Navarro produces a major upset

One of the day's biggest surprises came from Emma Navarro, who defeated seventh seed and Wimbledon runner-up Karolina Muchova 6-3, 7-5.

Navarro's aggressive and composed performance eliminated another major women's contender and strengthened the American presence in the latter stages. 

Townsend shines

Taylor Townsend also produced an impressive upset, defeating 15th seed Diana Shnaider 6-2, 6-7(3), 6-3.

Townsend recovered superbly after failing to close out the match in the second set, eventually producing a powerful final set to reach the fourth round for the second consecutive year. 

Men's highlights

American Tommy Paul produced one of the day's most dramatic comebacks, defeating Alexander Bublik 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-2.

Daniil Medvedev remained equally impressive, defeating Arthur Rinderknech 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 without dropping a set. Ben Shelton also defeated Denis Shapovalov in four sets, while Frances Tiafoe advanced comfortably against Valentin Vacherot. 

Day 7 — Saturday, September 5

If Day 6 was encouraging for American tennis, Day 7 was almost the complete opposite. Several leading American contenders crashed out in dramatic fashion.

Fritz suffers stunning collapse

The biggest men's shock came when ninth seed Taylor Fritz surrendered a two-set advantage against Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo.

Fritz led 6-3, 6-4 but Cerundolo produced a remarkable revival to win 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.

The Argentine's victory was one of the tournament's most impressive comebacks, while Fritz's defeat represented a painful setback for the home challenge. 

Blockx stuns Cobolli

Belgian youngster Alexander Blockx produced another sensational upset, defeating fifth seed Flavio Cobolli 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-0, 6-3.

The victory took Blockx into the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time and confirmed his emergence as one of the tournament's surprise revelations. 

Gauff keeps American hopes alive

Coco Gauff proved a major source of relief for the home crowd, defeating Cristina Bucsa 6-3, 6-4.

The fourth seed has reached the fourth round without dropping a set. She has also now won 18 consecutive sets, extending a remarkable run of form. 

Gauff will next face fellow American Iva Jovic, who edged Alexandra Eala 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 in a gripping three-hour battle. 

Swiatek survives two tight sets

Eighth seed Iga Swiatek had to work considerably harder than Gauff, but eventually overcame Marie Bouzkova 7-6(3), 7-6(3).

Swiatek saved three set points in the second set and maintained her unbeaten record through the opening three rounds. 

Zheng produces spectacular comeback

China's Zheng Qinwen delivered one of the day's most extraordinary comebacks against American 22nd seed Madison Keys.

Keys appeared to be in complete control after winning the opening set 6-1 and racing to a 5-0 advantage in the deciding set. Zheng, however, staged a stunning recovery, saving a match point before completing a 1-6, 7-6(3), 7-5 victory. 

She now faces Swiatek in the fourth round.

Anisimova also eliminated

American 10th seed Amanda Anisimova suffered another disappointing exit, losing 6-2, 7-5 to Austria's Anastasia Potapova.

Anisimova committed 46 unforced errors, while Potapova saved 13 of 16 break points to complete a highly disciplined upset. 

Rybakina and Osaka advance

Second seed Elena Rybakina defeated Yuliia Starodubtseva to progress, while former champion Naomi Osaka overcame Elise Mertens in a demanding three-set contest.

Rybakina and Osaka will now meet in a fascinating fourth-round clash. 

Zverev cruises through

On the men's side, top seed Alexander Zverev finally enjoyed a relatively straightforward outing, defeating Alejandro Tabilo 6-2, 7-6(2), 6-2.

Learner Tien also produced a memorable five-set victory over Jakub Mensik, while Karen Khachanov, Luciano Darderi and Botic van de Zandschulp advanced. 

The big picture after Day 7

The tournament has now entered the fourth round, and the men's draw has opened dramatically following the early exits of Novak Djokovic and several other leading contenders. Alcaraz remains a major force, while Zverev, Medvedev, Shelton, Tiafoe and others continue to challenge.

The women's draw, meanwhile, remains packed with elite contenders. Sabalenka, Gauff, Swiatek, Rybakina, Andreeva, Pegula and Osaka have all reached the latter stages, setting up an intriguing second week.

For American tennis, however, Day 7 was a harsh reality check: Fritz, Keys and Anisimova all departed, leaving Gauff, Pegula, Townsend and others to carry the home challenge. 

Days 6 and 7 therefore transformed the complexion of the 2026 US Open: the favourites strengthened their positions, surprise contenders emerged, and the road to the quarter-finals became dramatically more unpredictable.