American Massacre at the 2026 US Open
Saturday at the 2026 US Open was an absolute massacre for several of the biggest American names in the draw.
Taylor Fritz blew a two-set lead. Madison Keys somehow lost after leading 5-0 in the deciding set. Amanda Anisimova was bounced in straight sets.
But some Americans were hot while others were most definitely not.
Coco Gauff kept rolling, Iva Jovic survived an absolute war with Alex Eala, and Learner Tien battled through five sets and a chaotic atmosphere to reach the Round of 16.
Elsewhere, several players nobody seems to be talking about are quietly hanging around.
Here are my latest observations from the 2026 US Open, as part of our ongoing 2026 US Open coverage.
Matchday Picks
Get our latest tennis match predictions, picks, and analysis from around the tour.
View Matchday PicksTennis Betting
Explore our latest tennis betting analysis, odds, insights, and tournament coverage.
Explore Tennis BettingOur Transparency
See how we track our picks, measure results, and keep our betting content accountable.
See Our MethodologyTaylor Fritz Let One Get Away
There really isn’t a nice way to dress this one up.
Taylor Fritz led Francisco Cerundolo by two sets to love and lost 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.
The statistics make it even harder to swallow.
Fritz won more total points, 150-148. He won 55% of his second-serve points compared with 33% for Cerundolo, and both players finished with 54 unforced errors.
Fritz had opportunities. He just couldn’t close the door.
Afterward, he summed it up perfectly.
“I have no words. I was playing really well and with a noticeable advantage. I didn’t fully realize that I was falling into the Cerundolo Experience, and I couldn’t get out. I wasn’t in hell, but it sure feels a lot like it.”
Fritz has enough weapons to contend at majors.
At some point, however, contenders have to finish matches like this, and I’m not sure Fritz is ever going to pull that off.
Madison Keys Goes From 5-0 Up to Out
Madison Keys somehow managed an even bigger collapse.
Keys led Qinwen Zheng 5-0 in the deciding set and had a match point before Zheng won seven consecutive games to complete a 1-6, 7-6(3), 7-5 comeback.
Keys didn’t hide from what happened afterward.
“I started with a really good lead and then I just got so scared. I felt like I couldn’t let go of the shot.”
She also admitted this wasn’t something that suddenly appeared Saturday.
“I’ve been struggling with this for a while now.”
Keys said the issue had been building and acknowledged that she had reached the point where she needed to make some changes.
There is plenty to criticize about blowing a 5-0 lead.
But there is also something to be said for showing up afterward and answering the questions when you would probably rather be anywhere else.
Amanda Anisimova Sent Packing
Amanda Anisimova joined Fritz and Keys on the way out.
Anastasia Potapova knocked out last year’s finalist 6-2, 7-5, with Anisimova committing 46 unforced errors.
That’s another significant American name gone before the second week.
Potapova deserves plenty of credit, though. She didn’t sneak through this one. She took it.
Iva Jovic Wins a War
While several Americans collapsed, Iva Jovic did the exact opposite.
Jovic and Alex Eala played what I believe was the best match of the tournament so far, with the 18-year-old American finally escaping 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 after more than three hours.
Eala fought like a tiger.
Every time it looked like Jovic might separate, Eala found another gear and dragged herself back into the match.
But the serve eventually became the difference.
Eala cracked a few big ones when she desperately needed them, but she simply didn’t get enough from that shot consistently late in the match.
Jovic had just a little bit more.
Now she gets Coco Gauff in an all-American Round of 16 matchup.
That should be an interesting battle for completely different reasons.
I expect it to be sloppier than Jovic-Eala.
And I still think Coco gets through.
Coco Gauff Keeps Finding a Way
Coco Gauff didn’t need three hours Saturday, but she wasn’t perfect either.
Cristina Bucsa jumped ahead 3-1 in the opening set before Gauff settled down and won 6-3, 6-4. Gauff also had another shaky serving stretch that included three double faults in one game.
That’s the difference right now.
Gauff isn’t avoiding adversity.
She’s handling it.
And at a tournament where several major contenders have completely lost control of matches, that counts for plenty.
Mirra Andreeva Handles Her Business
Mirra Andreeva also had to work.
After cruising through the opening set against Nikola Bartunkova, Andreeva needed a tiebreak to finish a 6-2, 7-6(5) victory and reach the fourth round of the US Open for the first time.
Again, there was pressure.
There was a chance for the match to get complicated.
Andreeva didn’t let it happen.
That’s becoming one of the biggest dividing lines in this tournament.
Iga Swiatek Survives Two Tiebreaks
Iga Swiatek had an even tougher afternoon.
Swiatek needed two tiebreaks to get past Marie Bouzkova, marking the first time in her career she has won two tiebreaks in the same match.
She wasn’t dominant.
She didn’t need to be.
Swiatek handled the difficult moments and advanced.
Now she gets Zheng, who should arrive with all kinds of confidence after pulling off the comeback of the tournament against Keys.
Alexander Blockx Broke Flavio Cobolli in Half
Flavio Cobolli did not choke.
Alexander Blockx broke him down.
After Cobolli won the opening-set tiebreak, Blockx took complete control and rolled through the next three sets 6-3, 6-0, 6-3.
Sometimes a player gives a match away.
Sometimes the opponent simply takes it from him.
This was the latter.
Blockx is now into his first Grand Slam Round of 16.
Learner Tien Survives Mensik and the Madness
Learner Tien had himself a night.
The American went five sets with Jakub Mensik and eventually came through after an increasingly hostile atmosphere developed inside Louis Armstrong Stadium.
Mensik complained multiple times about spectators, and at least one heckler was eventually removed from the stadium.
I’m not going to accuse those specific spectators of gambling because we don’t know that.
But tennis has a growing problem with betting-related fan behavior, and anybody following the sport closely knows players are increasingly dealing with abuse from people who have money riding on outcomes.
Whatever motivated the heckling Saturday night, Mensik had enough and wanted people removed.
Tien handled the circus and finished the job.
Hiding in Plain Sight
While everyone talks about the biggest names, there are four men hanging around who seem to be getting almost no attention.
Luciano Darderi is in the Round of 16 after straight-setting Lorenzo Musetti.
Arthur Gea, a lucky loser, is still alive after winning another five-setter.
Botic van de Zandschulp followed his upset of Alex de Minaur by surviving Zizou Bergs in five.
And Karen Khachanov quietly backed up his win over Felix Auger-Aliassime by beating Benjamin Bonzi in straight sets.
Nobody is talking about these guys.
Maybe we should be.
The Rules Should Apply to Everybody
Venus Williams and Serena Williams also blew a 5-0 lead, theirs coming in the deciding match tiebreak of their doubles loss to Maya Joint and Chan Hao-ching.
Then they skipped their requested post-match media availability.
According to reporting from Ben Rothenberg, the Williams sisters had been requested for a press conference, which is a Grand Slam obligation when requested, yet the USTA decided neither would be fined.
That’s where I have a problem.
Taylor Fritz showed up after blowing a two-set lead.
Madison Keys showed up after blowing a 5-0 lead and a match point.
They faced the music.
If Venus and Serena still want to participate in majors, receive wild cards and enjoy everything that comes with being two of the biggest stars tennis has ever produced, then the obligations should apply to them too.
The rules should apply to everybody.
Final Thoughts
Some Americans were hot.
Some were not.
Fritz, Keys and Anisimova are gone after a disastrous Saturday for several of the biggest home names.
But Jovic survived the match of the tournament, Gauff continues to handle whatever gets thrown at her, and Tien survived five sets and a circus inside Armstrong.
Meanwhile, Andreeva and Swiatek showed why they remain serious threats, Blockx announced himself, and several men are hiding in plain sight as the tournament reaches the second week.
If Saturday taught us anything, it’s that playing well isn’t enough.
At a Grand Slam, eventually you have to survive.
Phil Naessens has spent decades in sports as a broadcaster, author, journalist, professional tennis coach, and betting analyst. As the founder and editor of Crush & Rush News and host of the Crush & Rush Tennis Podcast, he combines firsthand coaching experience with years of sports media and publishing to deliver thoughtful tennis analysis, tournament coverage, player features, and transparent betting insights built around value, and not hype.
