But that’s it for our live coverage today, on a see-sawing Saturday when Taylor Fritz, Flavio Cobolli, Madison Keys and Amanda Anisimova all lost (Keys head-scratchingly from 5-0 up and having also held a match point, and Fritz from two sets ahead), but Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek and Mirra Andreeva reached the last 16. We will, of course, be back for more tomorrow. Bye!
In the doubles, there have been wins for Britain’s Arthur Fery and Jonathan Paris, the British-American duo Neal Skupski and Christian Harrison, who won the Australian Open title this year, and also the top seeds in the women’s event, Taylor Towsend and Katerina Siniakova, the runners-up in 2025.
Michael Zheng’s fans are, unsurprisingly, out in force on Grandstand, cheering on the Columbia University graduate, and they’re screaming “LET’S GO MICHAEL” when the 22-year-old moves to set point at 6-5 in the first-set tie-break. Even though he can’t take it, his supporters are in full voice as the pair change ends at 6-6 … and now Arthur Gea has his second set point. Gea biffs a backhand wide, but soon gets a third SP .. and he takes the breaker 9-7 with a stinging forehand winner down the line, leaping into the air in celebration. Zheng’s fans still aren’t silenced.
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Khachanov beats Bonzi; Sweeny's run ends
The results keep on coming: the resurgent Russian Karen Khachanov, the former semi-finalist, is playing like it’s 2022 again, having backed up his win over Felix Auger-Aliassime with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 victory over France’s Benjamin Bonzi. And Australian hopes in the singles are over, with Dane Sweeny unable to follow up his success against Lorenzo Musetti, losing 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 to Luciano Darderi. Khachanov will meet the winner of Learner Tien v Jakub Mensik in the last 16, while Darderi will play Alexander Zverev or Alejandro Tabilo. Both those matches take place in the night session.
So – Gauff is asked about her ability to adapt how she plays during matches. “It’s all about how I’m feeling, if I feel good I’ll play offensive,” she replies. “When I feel I’m not playing the ball well I play defensive. In the first set today it was defensive. Once I got into my rhythm, I could hit through more. I had to sacrifice some points to get going again.”
On reaching the second week, she says: “I feel like I’m used to getting to the second week now. I woke up today and I was like: ‘Oh we’re already in round three.’ I’m enjoying the experience, there’s expectations being American and I want to do well in front of the fans. Last year I put too much pressure on myself.”
“It was way different playing in the day session than the night, but I was happy with the way I fought through, even when I wasn’t playing my best,” is Gauff’s assessment, before my wifi checks out temporarily. While I wait for it to sort itself out, I can tell you that Gauff will face the winner of tonight’s potential blockbuster between Iva Jovic and Alexandra Eala.
Gauff (4) defeats Bucsa 6-3, 6-4
… and it does! 15-0, 30-0, 40-0, game, set and match Gauff. Finally, there’s an American winner on day seven, after the exits of Fritz, Keys and Anisimova, and Gauff maintains her status as one of the frontrunners for the title. She’s yet to drop a set as she punches her ticket into the second week for the fifth straight year, and she’s still only 22. How is she only 22?! It feels as if she’s been around for at least a decade.
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Gauff is edging closer to the last 16 herself, breaking Bucsa to 15 for 4-3 … but then is given a dose of her own medicine as she’s broken straight back to love. She comes out in the next game with the memory of a goldfish (Ted Lasso would be proud), as she charges to 0-40 … before securing another love break. It’s not often you see 11 successive points go against the server. Gauff will desperately hope that streak ends now, because she’s serving for the match at 6-3, 5-4 …
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An email. “Alexander Blockx was on the Changeover podcast and spoke about a superstition he picked up after his breakthrough tournament,” writes Kerrith Britland. “He apparently doesn’t change his racket throughout a match, which is pretty unheard of in professional tennis. Seems like a nice chap, humble etc and a proper talent, and anything that makes us rec players feel closer to the pros gets two thumbs up from me.” Yes, he came across really well in his on-court interview after conquering Cobolli, but I was only able to dip in and out of the match what with everything else that’s been going on today. I’ll be interested to see what he can do in the fourth round against Cerundolo – it’s a huge opportunity for both, that’s for sure.
Swiatek’s victory means that Michael Zheng is now under way on Grandstand, against France’s Arthur Gea. Zheng, the 22-year-old wildcard from nearby Columbia University, who missed his own graduation a few months ago because he was qualifying for the French Open, is one of two Americans left in this half of the draw after Taylor Fritz’s defeat from two sets up earlier – the other is Learner Tien, who plays Jakub Mensik in the night session. Zheng trails 3-1 in the opening set.
An entertaining drop-shot face-off between Gauff and Bucsa ends in the former’s favour and draws plenty of oooohs and aaaaaahs, but Bucsa, undeterred, still manages to move to 40-15 … before Gauff, ever the ultimate competitor – she’s Serena-like in that respect – drags herself to deuce. But Gauff gets a little over-excited and puts too much on her backhand, which drops long. So it’s advantage Bucsa … and the Spaniard holds when Gauff’s return bashes the net. It’s Gauff 6-3, 2-3 Bucsa.
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Gauff v Bucsa is going on serve in the second set, with Bucsa leading 2-1. Dane Sweeny, meanwhile, after his heroics in the second round against Lorenzo Musetti on his US Open debut, is finding things much tougher against another Italian opponent, Luciano Darderi, and the Australian wildcard trails 6-4, 6-3 – but Karen Khachanov has continued where he left off against Felix Auger-Aliassime, and the Russian with the hammer of a forehand leads France’s Benjamin Bonzi 6-3, 6-2.
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Keys has been in the press conference room after her third-set collapse earlier, and it’s really sad to hear what she had to say:
I feel like I got off to a really good lead and then I just got really scared. I couldn’t swing. Tennis just feels really hard right now. I feel like that kind of took over.
I just feel like I’ve been struggling for a while now and was able to play through it for a bit. I’m sure everyone could kind of see that I was struggling a bit. Inside it’s felt probably even bigger than that.
Some weeks are easier than others. This week is obviously one of the harder ones just because you care so much. I’m gonna have to make some sort of changes. I just kind of keep pushing it off and pushing it off because that’s how the tennis world works. It’s just to the point where I actually need to do something about it.
When she won her first grand slam last year, at the Australian Open at the age of 29, we wondered if it would free her up to win more. It hasn’t happened – and she’s reached only one major quarter-final since. Let’s hope she can make the changes she needs; she’s such a popular player on tour.
Gauff, from 3-1 down in the first set against Bucsa, has asserted her authority with five successive games and has set point at 5-3, 40-15. She takes it with an unreturned serve. Cue a customary “C’MOOOONNNN!” and a collective roar from 24,000 fans. They’re desperate for an American win today.
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“It got super tough and physical,” says a relieved Swiatek. “She was getting every ball back.” Swiatek then talks about turning her form around on the North American hard courts after a testing 2026 - “this is the most positive part of the year for me” – before reflecting on the work she’s doing with Francisco Roig, who was part of Rafa Nadal’s team for years. “I’m happy with the progress, and to be here and to have another chance,” the former world No 1 says.
Swiatek (8) defeats Bouzkova 7-6 (3), 7-6 (3)
… Swiatek moves herself within a point of victory at 6-1 with a forehand cross-court winner … but she blinks on the first two match points … before getting the job done when Bouzkova’s backhand misfires again! Swiatek stepped it up when it mattered in those two tie-breaks, it was a high-quality match, and it’ll sharpen up the 2022 champion for the challenges to come. Swiatek will play Zheng Qinwen next, who pulled off one of the great US Open comebacks earlier against Madison Keys.
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Swiatek starts the tie-break – the second of this match after she took the first 7-3 – with the opening three points. She produces some tremendous defence on the fourth point – but Bouzkova eventually takes it with a winning volley. 3-1 becomes 4-1 when Bouzkova bashes a mis-hit backhand wide … and it’s 5-1 at the changeover, with Swiatek now hitting with such depth and intensity …
Swiatek is looking shaky too, saving not one, not two, but three set points against Bouzkova at 5-6 in the second. She then makes the Czech pay for her profligacy by pummelling an inside-in forehand winner to hold. “IGA, IGA, IGA, IGA, IGA, IGA,” shout the noisy fans on Grandstand. And breathe. This day is really putting us through the wringer.
A year after Gauff spent the week before the US Open completely rebuilding her service action, and being reduced to tears at times during her matches before losing in the last 16, the fourth seed’s serve has been transformed of late – but a double fault at 30-all in her second service game gifts Bucsa a break point, which the Spaniard takes for 2-1, before turning that into 3-2. The Americans are already 0-3 today. Gauff surely can’t make it 0-4 … can she?
So in the fourth round it’ll be Fritz Cerundolo v Cobolli Blockx. No 14 Learner Tien and No 17 Jakub Mensik, who play in the night session, are now the highest seeds left in that quarter of the draw.
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Blockx (28) beats Cobolli (5) 6-7, 6-3, 6-0, 6-3
Cobolli double faults at the worst possible time, because it hands the break to Blockx, who will serve for the match at 5-3 in the fourth. And the Belgian nervelessly blasts his way to 40-0 … before finishing the French Open runner-up off with an ace out wide! The shocks keep on coming. The 21-year-old Blockx is through to the last 16 of a grand slam for the first time, having never even played at a major before this year, and Cobolli, having perhaps expended too much mental and physical energy in his first and second-round comebacks, has departed. “I definitely didn’t think this would happen so quick,” says a surprisingly calm Blockx.
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A huge cheer on Arthur Ashe, as Coco Gauff grabs the first game against Spain’s Cristina Busca. It’s louder than you’d expect given it was only the opener, but this crowd is desperate for an American win after the whitewash so far today. Surely Gauff is in strong enough form to get through this? And yet … we said the same about Fritz. Nothing is guaranteed on this wild Saturday.
Swiatek suddenly remembers who she is, breaking back Bouzkova – who won only five games against her at this year’s Australian Open – and then holding to haul herself level in the second set at 7-6, 4-4.
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Meanwhile Karen Khachanov, who took out an ailing Felix Auger-Aliassime in the second round, is 4-3 ahead in the first set against France’s Benjamin Bonzi, and Dane Sweeny, who knocked out an out-of-sorts Lorenzo Musetti on Thursday and is the last Australian standing in the singles, is 5-4 down in the opener, with Italy’s Luciano Darderi serving for it.
And that next one for Cerundolo will most likely be against Blockx, the Belgian who sounds as if he should be part of some brand colab, who’s close to pulling off an upset of his own, now 6-7, 6-3, 6-0, 3-1 up on Cobolli. But Cobolli won from two sets down in the first round, so this deficit is niente to the Italian … and Cobolli breaks back from deuce with one of his nuclear forehands! As Bouzkova breaks Swiatek for a 4-2 lead in the second set! Today’s drama shows no signs of abating.
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So how did Cerundolo turn it around? “I don’t know,” he says. “He was playing way better than me in the first two sets. In the third I started to get into it, step by step, and in the fourth and fifth I played really good tennis. Taylor is a top player, he’s played in the final here, so winning, my first time on Arthur Ashe, it’s fantastic. I hope you enjoy, I know I’m not the local one, sorry, I try my best, hopefully I can get you all on my side in the next one.”
Fritz (9) knocked out by Cerundolo (24) 3-6, 4-6, 6-3. 6-4, 6-4
Now it’s Cerundolo’s turn to miss a gimme of a forehand and Fritz has a glimmer at 0-30. Fritz can’t put any pressure on Cerundolo on the next point, but a lengthy rally plays out at 15-30 … before Fritz fires long by some distance. 30-all. Will it be break point or match point? Match point, because Cerundolo slams down an unreturned serve out wide! And the Argentinian takes out the ninth seed when Fritz batters a backhand beyond the baseline! For only the second time in Cerundolo’s career, he’s come from two sets down to win, and Fritz, the man whom I’d tipped to be the leading American this fortnight, is out. What a gut punch for Fritz at his home tournament. He’ll be seeing that 4-3 game in the final set in his sleep for many a night. And this has turned into an American horror story after the exits of Keys and Anisimova too.
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Fritz must recover from that disappointment fast … but Cerundolo steps into the court, crunching another fizzing forehand, and Fritz is left doing the splits and facing a 15-40 deficit. And Fritz’s shoelace has broken, so he’ll be given a moment to fix that, just to add to the drama. When they resume, Cerundolo’s shot clips the tape on the first break point … trickles over invitingly for Fritz to bury it … but Fritz flaps his forehand into the net!!! And from three break points up on Cerundolo’s serve, Fritz is now a break down, and Cerundolo will serve for a place in the fourth round at 3-6, 4-6, 6-3. 6-4, 5-4!
But let’s focus on Fritz v Cerundolo, because this may be a potentially decisive moment after three and a half hours, with Fritz having taken seven points on the spin and a point away from serving for the match at 4-3 and 0-40 on the Argentinian’s serve. But Cerundolo drowns out the sound of nearly 24,000 Americans with some HUGE serving. And then he cracks an unreturned forehand to get to his advantage! And Fritz is screaming to the skies as Cerundolo secures the game! Clutch.
Keys’ defeat, having led Zheng 5-0 in the third set and had a match point, comes two days after Keys saved five match points and came from 5-2 down in the decider to win - so tennis really does know how to give and take.
And now Fritz is looking to avoid following Keys and Anisimova, his fellow Americans, out of the tournament on this Labor Day weekend - which given the way he obliterated his first two opponents was not a sentence I expected to be typing today. And Cobolli is reeling, too, now 6-7, 6-3, 6-0 down to Blockx – though Andreeva is through and Swiatek has finally wrested control against Bouzkova, taking the first-set tie-break 7-3.
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Thanks Niall. So I haven’t missed much while I’ve been away, have I? Oh.
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Time to hand back to Katy, who will guide you through the rest of the afternoon session’s action.
Flavio Cobolli is in trouble, now 5-0 down to Blockx in the third set, and set to slip 2-1 behind in sets. Bouzkova couldn’t take the chance to serve out the set – Swiatek breaks for a third time to set up a tie-break.
Marie Bouzkova breaks Swiatek to lead a gruelling first set 6-5, and she’ll try to serve out the first set, which has lasted almost an hour. Back on Ashe, Fritz fights through a tough service game to edge 2-1 ahead in the decider.
There’s some British interest in the men’s doubles, with Arthur Fery (born in Paris) and Jonathan Paris (born in London) in first-round action. They’re taking on Ivan Liutarevich and Anirudh Shandrasekar.
Cerundolo wraps up the fourth set, and we’re heading to a decider on Ashe. Alex Blockx has hit a purple patch against Cobolli, reeling off five straight games to win the second set and break early in the third.
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Mirra Andreeva (5) beats Nikola Bartunkova 6-2, 7-5
Job done for the No 5 seed, who scrapes through a second-set battle, winning the tie-break 7-5. Next up for her: Anastasia Potapova, who eliminated Amanda Anisimova earlier today.
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Swiatek and Bouzkova are locked at 3-3 in the first set, with Blockx and Cobolli on the same score in set two. On Court 17, Mirra Andreeva needs to win a tie-break to secure victory over Bartunkova.
Taylor Fritz has his arms outstretched, unsure how to regain the initiative against an opponent who is moving and hitting much better than before. At least his trusty serve keeps him in the set, but he needs to pose Cerundolo more problems. The Argentinian leads 5-3 in the fourth.
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Cerundolo breaks to edge ahead in the fourth set, and this has become an unexpectedly testing encounter for Fritz. Elsewhere, Nikola Bartunkova – the world No 34, and Czech No 6 – is 6-5 up in the second set, with Andreeva serving to force a tie-break.
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Swiatek immediately breaks back, and they’re back on serve at 1-1, with 15 minutes required to play out two games. On Ashe, Fritz edges 2-1 up in the fourth set, but we’re still on serve.
Cobolli takes the first set! He prevails 7-4 in the breaker against Blockx. Iga Swiatek and Marie Bouzkova have begun on Grandstand – and the Czech player has claimed an early break.
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Mirra Andreeva has won the first set 6-2 against Bartunkova with the second set on serve at 2-2. Elsewhere, Alex Blockx has fought back to force a first-set tie-break with Cobolli.
While all that was happening, Francisco Cerundolo started a comeback of his own. From two sets and a break down, the Argentinian has won the third set and is causing Taylor Fritz a few problems.
“Any sign of a dramatic Zheng comeback? No, is the short answer” – me, 35 minutes ago. I was wrong, and Zheng moves on to a last-16 meeting with either Iga Swiatek or Maria Bouzkova, who are up next on Grandstand.
“I always believed [I could win], I just kept fighting,” says Zheng, who found serving at 5-4 down the toughest moment. She talks about her injury layoff – “the worst few months of my career” – and says “hard work has paid off” for her and her team.
Zheng roars back to beat Keys 1-6, 7-6 (3), 7-5!
On second serve, Keys looks to clip the line with a cross-court shot … but misses. Zheng Qinwen has won from 5-0 down, breaking Keys’ serve three times in a row and saving a match point at 5-1 down. She looks elated, Keys can’t wait to get out of there. How on earth did she lose that match?
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From 5-0 down, Zheng is serving for the match. Will the pressure pendulum swing? Keys edges ahead with some nimble net work, but can’t keep her forehand down with Zheng now feeling the heat. Match point Zheng …
Flavio Cobolli has sped out of the blocks against, er, Alexander Blockx – the Italian leads 4-2 in the first set. But we’re staying on the Grandstand for now …
Zheng breaks Keys again! Madison Keys makes a better start here, the first serve speeding up, but Qinwen Zheng is locked in, turning the rallies in her favour – and when Keys misses a desperate effort down the line, she breaks again. Three in a row, six games in a row, and now she’ll serve for the match.
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It’s five games in a row for Zheng as she controls her service game – and now Keys must serve again at 5-5. Zheng was ranked world No 4 just over a year ago, but is currently No 121 after a run of injury problems – and had to qualify for this tournament.
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Over on Stadium 17, No 5 seed Mirra Andreeva has taken an early break against Nikola Bartunkova, who is unseeded but ranked 34th in the world, so not far off.
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The nerves are all too obvious from Keys, whose first serve slows to a crawl as she slides 0-40 down. Keys saves the first break point, but eventually goes long and Zheng is 5-4 down, back on serve and back in the game.
Zheng moves 40-0 up and has Keys throwing her arms up in frustration – but the American rallies to deuce, only for Zheng to grind out the hold. Keys will serve for the match again, and the pressure’s on …
Taylor Fritz is trying to wrap up the second set against Francisco Cerundolo, and despite making hard work of it, the American eventually gets it done and now leads 6-3, 6-4.
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Zheng, who held serve at 5-0 down to keep this alive, defends a match point and then clinches the break with a punchy volley. Maybe the comeback is on after all …
Thanks, Katy. Any sign of a dramatic Zheng comeback? No, is the short answer. Keys has moved 5-1 up in the decider, and is serving for the match …
Fritz already has a break in the second set, leading 6-3, 4-2, while Keys has suddenly turned into first set Keys and is 6-1, 6-7, 3-0 ahead. Make that 4-0, as Zheng surrenders the double break – and likely the match – with a trio of forehand misses from 40-30. With that, I’m off for a breather, so Niall is here to guide you through the finale …
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Next up on Louis Armstrong: Flavio Cobolli v Alexander Blockx.
“I’m the happiest person out here, except maybe my coach,” says the 25-year-old Potapova. “I’m still in the process of learning but I’m not scared of anything. I’m super excited for the next one.” She’s then asked about previously saying she knows the name of every store on Fifth Avenue. Will she treat herself now she’s guaranteed at least $480,000 for reaching the last 16? No, she’s got the tennis to focus on first, she sensibly says. Next up for her will be Mirra Andreeva or Nikola Bartunkova.
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Potapova (24) defeats Anisimova (10) 6-2, 7-5
… and this time Potapova is able to deliver the knockout blow, when on match point, at 40-30, a long rally ends in her favour as Anisimova whacks long! Potapova is into the fourth round of the US Open for the first time and Anisimova, the 10th seed, has been unable to repeat last year’s run to the final. Her 46 unforced errors to Potapova’s 17 go a long way to explaining that. And the result means she’ll lose her place in the world’s top 10 to Marta Kostyuk.
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Fritz seals a 6-3 first set against Cerundolo – though the biggest drama right now is not on Arthur Ashe but Louis Armstrong, where a third successive break leaves Anisimova on the ropes again, at 2-6, 5-6 …
Anisimova, from 3-2 and 4-3 up in the second set, is suddenly broken amid a flurry of errors – two backhands, one forehand and a volley for good measure – and she’s a game from defeat at 2-6, 4-5. But nothing in this set has been remotely straightforward for either server – and Potapova promptly falls 0-40 down. She saves the first two break points with b2b aces, but can’t repeat the trick on the third. Anisimova survives for 2-6, 5-5.
The first five points of the breaker go the way of the server … until Zheng nails a forehand winner down the line off Keys’s drop shot! Zheng has a 4-2 lead at the change of ends … Keys takes the next point with a winner into pretty much exactly the same spot as Zheng’s landed … but Zheng still has the advantage and extends that to 5-3 and then 6-3 with two big serves. Zheng has three set points … and Keys hits beyond the baseline! That was a flawless tie-break from the Olympic champion and they’re going to a third. It’s Keys 6-1, 6-7 (3) Zheng.
Keys holds. Zheng holds. It means Keys is serving to stay in the second set at 5-6. There were some really strong quotes from Keys after the first round, when she spoke about how intensely nervous she felt before the match, especially as a home player. It was interesting to hear how the nerves can affect even last year’s Australian Open champion. But there’s no sign of any now, as she holds to 15. So it’s tie-break time.
Fritz, after conceding only two games in the previous round, has dropped two in six games today. Crisis! He leads Cerundolo 4-2.
Keys, Zheng and Anisimova are all wearing very similar turquoise Nike outfits. Which is making things slightly confusing, it has to be said. Almost as confusing as keeping up with the Anisimova v Potapova scoreline, after a fourth successive break. Anisimova eventually snaps the streak with a hold, and she’s 3-2 up in the second set. Can she build on this?
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What of Keys v Zheng, you say? Well after a very cagey second set, Zheng strikes in game eight – as Keys clunks an errant forehand and coughs up a double fault from deuce. It leaves Zheng serving to level the match at 5-3 – but a meek second serve gets the treatment it deserves at 30-all and Keys has break point. And the break is retrieved after some more heavy hitting from the American! It’s Keys 6-1, 4-5 Zheng.
Now it’s three consecutive breaks at the start of the second. Anisimova has held serve only twice in the match – and now trails 6-2, 2-1.
Finally Anisimova gets a break against Potapova – though she needed a double fault from the Austrian on break point to do it – and all it does is get her level in the second set, because she was broken in the previous game. So it’s Anisimova 2-6, 1-1 Potapova.
Fritz’s problem this season has been staying fit – but when he’s healthy, he’s a serious contender, shown by his hard-court title in Washington DC last month. He’s also got the experience of going deep in New York, having reached the final two years ago. But he is in a fairly loaded quarter of the draw, which includes Flavio Cobolli and Jakub Mensik.
Fritz, having flown through his previous match for the loss of only two games, for the most emphatic win of his grand slam career, has carried on where he left off, and he already leads Cerundolo, this summer’s Queen’s champion, 3-0.
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Anisimova surrenders another break – she’s 0-7 on break points and Potapova 2-4, which is the story of the first set, along with the 19 unforced errors that Anisimova has hit – and Potapova is, unexpectedly, serving for the opener. And Potapova takes it on her fourth set point, 6-2, when Anisimova’s return loops long! Last year’s runner-up has got plenty to tidy up in her game if she’s to turn this match around.
Here’s Tumaini’s report on that match:
In the end, after so much toil and admirable fight, defeat came swiftly for one of the greatest doubles teams to ever share a tennis court. Upon their return to prime time in New York, Venus and Serena Williams fought desperately to overturn the various deficits they found themselves in over three hours inside a thunderous Arthur Ashe Stadium.
They came close. The Williams sisters had clawed their way back into the match after trailing a 1-4 in their final set against Chan Hao-ching and Maya Joint, and they established a 5-0 lead in the third set tie-break. Just as they appeared to be on the verge of victory, they were brushed aside, losing 6-3, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (7) in the first round of the US Open.
This was one of the few times in recent tennis history where a player’s doubles appearance seemed far more important than their singles contributions. While the 44-year-old Serena had opted out of taking a singles wildcard for the US Open after suffering a knee injury during her singles comeback at Wimbledon in July against Joint, the 46-year-old Venus lost in the singles first round here to Sofia Kenin, her 15th consecutive singles loss. No matter, from the moment it became clear that the Williams sisters were aiming to compete alongside each other in doubles again, this was the match that people wanted to see.
Before this summer, when the Williams sisters finally rejoined forces at the Cincinnati Open, losing in a tight first round battle, the last time Venus and Serena had competed together was here in 2022, supposedly Serena’s final tournament. Serena had been extremely impressive in her mixed doubles appearance alongside Carlos Alcaraz this year, who she had even outperformed for a large part of her matches. Here, perhaps under the additional pressure alongside her sister, the four years of rust was still visible on Serena’s game as she struggled badly throughout the match.
A week after cracking 120mph aces on pressure points, Serena had so many troubles with her serve that, by the final set, she had been reduced to simply rolling in her first serve and she similarly struggled to land any returns. Venus, meanwhile, was often the best player on the court, but the pair paid for her failure to put away key volleys deep in the match.
Regardless, the Williams sisters fought desperately for three hours, produced numerous moments of brilliance and nearly defeated the 14th seed team in the draw. They were eventually outplayed by a solid pairing in Joint, a top 30 doubles player, and the former world No 5 and Wimbledon finalist Chan. The Australian-Taiwanese pair were at times overwhelmed by the increasingly intense crowd inside Arthur Ashe Stadium and their indefatigable opponents. But in the decisive moments deep in the final set tie-break they handled business as they should, absorbing the Williams sisters’ first strike while tidying up around the net.
You can read the rest here:
Last night Serena and Venus Williams – with their combined age of 456 - blew a five-point lead in the deciding tie-break as their return to the grand slam doubles stage ended in defeat, 6-3, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (7) against Chan Hao-ching and Maya Joint. Serena must be sick of the sight of Joint – given her singles comeback was also halted by the Australian in the Wimbledon first round this summer – but having come so close to victory in both matches, she may well be encouraged enough to continue. Serena and Venus chose not to do a post-match media conference last night – so it’s not clear what their next plans are.
A big cheer on Grandstand – despite the fact Zheng is facing an American – as she holds at the start of the second set. Anisimova is still a break down, 3-2, against Potapova, while Taylor Fritz – the pick of the American men in the first week - is warming up on Arthur Ashe against Francisco Cerundolo, the 24th seed from Argentina.
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And after my talking-up of Zheng’s chances … she’s 5-1 down in 20 minutes. A messy fourth game, including two double faults, surrendered the first break – and the second came when she was broken to love. So Keys, having survived those five match points against her in round two, is making the most of her second life, serving for the set … and the 2017 runner-up closes it out emphatically, to 15. Perhaps all the matches Zheng has played to get to this point are now catching up with her.
Anisimova, one of the purest and most powerful hitters in the women’s game, is pushing hard on Potapova’s serve at 0-40, and despite being dragged back to deuce, she has another three break points … of which she takes absolutely none. And then she’s swiftly broken to love. She’ll be kicking herself. She could, perhaps should, be leading but instead finds herself a break down at 2-1.
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So what of their opponents today? Zheng has greater momentum than Keys coming into the third round. The former world No 4 has won five consecutive matches after coming through qualifying – her world ranking is currently No 121 as she works her way back after elbow surgery last year – and the last time she won five on the spin she claimed the Olympic singles title for China in 2024.
Potapova, meanwhile, the 24th seed, is looking to reach the US Open fourth round for the first time. She gained headlines at the end of last year when she announced she’d switched her allegiance from Russia to Austria, having basically hit copy and paste on the statement her former compatriot Daria Kasatkina made when she started representing Australia last year. As our tennis correspondent Tumaini Carayol explains:
To the bemusement of Kasatkina herself, Potapova changed just two words of Kasatkina’s original before publishing the statement as her own: Australia to Austria and Melbourne to Vienna. Potapova was unapologetic about her lack of originality: “I don’t find anything wrong with that because you cannot say it in a better way. And why not? And, yeah, it was perfect words. I loved it. We loved it with my team, with everyone.”
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Keys and Anisimova both start with a hold, but while Keys comes through the opening game reasonably comfortably, to 30, Anisimova has to save two break points at 15-40 before edging through from deuce.
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“It’s so wide open,” says Martina Navratilova on Sky Sports about the women’s draw, and I’m in total agreement with her – though I’m not sure even if I did disagree that I’d have the gumption to argue with Martina. Sabalenka, Gauff, Rybakina, Andreeva, Swiatek, Pegula, Anisimova … you really could take your pick. And that’s without even mentioning the Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova, the two-time US Open winner Naomi Osaka, the ever-improving Marta Kostyuk and the rising Iva Jovic and Alexandra Eala. I think this year is too soon for Jovic and Eala – especially as the winner of their match later could face Gauff in the last 16 – but the strength and depth at the top of women’s game is seriously impressive.
The sun is out and two Americans, Amanda Anisimova and Madison Keys, will get this Labor Day weekend under way at Flushing Meadows. Anisimova, last year’s finalist at the US Open and Wimbledon, plays the Russian-born Austrian Anastasia Potapova on Louis Armstrong, while Keys, after her great escape in round two, where she saved five match points, faces the 2024 Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen on Grandstand.
Order of play - day session
11am start (4pm BST) unless stated
Arthur Ashe Stadium 11.30am New York/4.30pm BST
Taylor Fritz (USA, 9) v Francisco Cerundolo (Arg, 24)
Cristina Busca (Sp) v Coco Gauff (USA, 4)
Louis Armstrong Stadium
Anastasia Potapova (Aut, 24) v Amanda Anisimova (USA, 10)
Alexander Blockx (Bel, 28) v Flavio Cobolli (It, 5)
Grandstand
Madison Keys (USA, 22) v Zheng Qinwen (Chn)
Iga Swiatek (Pol, 8) v Marie Bouzkova (Cze, 25)
Michael Zheng (USA) v Arthur Gea (Fr)
Yuliia Starodubtseva (Ukr) v Elena Rybakina (Kaz, 2)
Stadium 17
Leylah Fernandez (Can) and Janice Tjen (Ina) v Erin Routliffe (NZ, 9) and Aldila Sutjiadi (Ina, 9)
Mirra Andreeva (5) v Nikola Bartunkova (Cze)
Karen Khachanov v Benjamin Bonzi (Fr)
Zizou Bergs (Bel, 31) v Botic van de Zandschulp (Ned)
Court 5
Marcelo Demoliner (Bra) and Ray Ho (Tpe) v Nathaniel Lammons (USA) and Jackson Withrow (USA)
Arthur Reymond (Fr) and Luca Sanchez (Fr) v Christian Harrison (USA, 5) and Neal Skupski (GB, 5)
Luciano Darderi (It, 21) v Dane Sweeny (Aus)
Court 6
Ingrid Neel (Est) and Giuliana Olmos (Mex) v Ena Shibahara (Jp) and Lanlana Tararudee (Tha)
Luke Johnson (GB) and Jan Zielinski (Pol) v Marcelo Arevalo (Esa, 3) and Mate Pavic (Cros, 3)
Court 7
Hendrik Jebens (Ger) and Miguel Reyes-Varela (Mex) v Marcel Granollers (Sp, 2) and Horacio Zeballos (Arg, 2)
Maja Chwalinska (Pol) and Magda Linette (Pol) v Anna Bondar (Hun) and Anhelina Kalinina (Ukr)
Daniel Milavsky (USA) and Braden Shick (USA) v Francisco Cabral (Por, 16) and JJ Tracy (USA, 16)
Andrey Golubev (Kaz) and Aleksandr Nedovyesov (Kaz) v Adam Pavlasek (Cze) and Patrik Rikl (Cze)
Court 10
Ellen Perez (Aus, 10) and Demi Schuurs (Ned, 10) v Elena Pridankina and Tang Qianhui (Chn)
Finn Reynolds (NZ) and James Watt (NZ) v Guido Andreozzi (Arg, 7) and Manuel Guinard (Fr, 7)
Arthur Fery (GB) and Joshua Paris (GB) v Tomas Martin Etcheverry (Arg) and Camilo Ugo Carabelli (Arg)
Court 11
Ryan Seggerman (USA) and Patrik Trhac (USA) v Yuki Bhambri (Ind) and Michael Venus (NZ)
Katerina Siniakova (Cze, 1) and Taylor Townsend (USA, 1) v Wang Xiyu (Chn) and Xu Yifan (Chn)
Moyuka Uchijima (Jp) and Wang Xinyu (Chn) v Robin Montgomery (USA) and Ashlyn Krueger (USA)
Sara Errani (It) and Lilli Tagger (Aut) v Gabriela Dabrowski (Can, 2) and Luisa Stefani (Bra, 2)
Luciano Darderi (It) and Mariano Kestelboim (Arg) v Julian Cash (GB, 9) and Lloyd Glasspool (GB, 9)
Court 12
Filip Pieczonka (Pol) and Bart Stevens (Ned) v Austin Krajicek (USA, 15) and Nikola Mektic (Cro, 15)
Alexander Bublik (Kaz) and Shang Juncheng (Can) v Sebastian Baez (Arg) and Fabian Marozsan (Hun)
Magali Kempen (Bel) and Alexandra Panova v Storm Hunter (Aus, 13) and Desiree Krawczyk (USA, 13)
Jenson Brooksby (USA) and Marcos Giron (USA) v Mac Kiger (USA) and Aleksandar Kovacevic (USA)
Benjamin Bonzi (Fr) and Arthur Rinderknech (Fr) v Theo Arribage (Fr, 10) and Albano Olivetti (Fr, 10)
Court 13
Yannik Alvarez (Pur) and Noah Johnston (USA) v Jakob Schnaitter (Ger) and Mark Wallner (Ger)
Sadio Doumbia (Fr, 11) and Fabien Reboul (Fr, 11) v David Stevenson (GB) and Marcus Willis (GB)
Preamble
Hello and welcome to the US Open 2026 - day seven! I can’t believe we’re nearly at the halfway stage already, with the top takeaways so far (along with the $100 caviar-topped chicken nuggets) being that:
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It’s so good to have Carlos Alcaraz back – even though it’s not the same without Jannik Sinner
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The end game appears closer for Novak Djokovic - and has already come for Stan Wawrinka and Gael Monfils – while Alex de Minaur is at a career crossroads
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Aryna Sabalenka is working her way back into form – though success isn’t the only thing she’s been smelling
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Coco Gauff has served notice with her start – while Elena Rybakina, Iga Swiatek and Mirra Andreeva have impressed too (Gauff, Rybakina and Jessica Pegula are still pushing Sabalenka for the world No 1 spot)
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Taylor Fritz is arguably the best-placed home hope to end the 23-year wait for an American male singles champion
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Naomi Osaka’s tennis hasn’t been as eye-catching as her latest look
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Eala-mania has taken over New York
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Britain desperately needs Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu back fit
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And Alexander Zverev, looking shaky in his first slam as the No 1 seed, has likely turned into a zombie in the city that never sleeps after two 2am, five-set finishes
Zverev is on the night shift again on day seven, scheduled second on Arthur Ashe in the evening session, after Alexandra Eala v Iva Jovic offers us a tantalising glimpse into the future of women’s tennis – but our focus is on the day session, with Fritz, Gauff, Swiatek, Rybakina and Andreeva all in action, along with Amanda Anisimova, Madison Keys, Flavio Cobolli, the rising American Michael Zheng, Australia’s sole survivor Dane Sweeny and the vanquisher of Felix Auger-Aliassime, Karen Khachanov.
Play gets under way: at 11am local time/4pm BST. Don’t go anywhere!
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