US news | The Guardian
· collected 2026-09-06 · by Tumaini Carayol at Flushing Meadows
American tennis player Taylor Fritz suffered a disappointing loss to Francisco Cerúndolo in the third round of the US Open, losing 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. The 28-year-old Fritz, ranked as high as No 4 last year and considered one of the most successful American male players of his generation, had been favored to advance but failed to capitalize on his opportunities, squandering a 5-3 lead in the final set. Fritz's loss leaves only seven American men remaining in the singles draw, with many facing increased pressure to perform after his exit. The US Open is now wide open, with no clear favorite emerging due to the absence of top players such as Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-06,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
As his last, desperate backhand soared far past the baseline inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, Taylor Fritz instantly held his face in his hands, unable to hide the agony of squandering such a great opportunity.
asserted
Fritz → soar → opportunity
For much of his afternoon, Fritz was cruising.
asserted
Fritz → cruise → afternoon
He had established a two set against Francisco Cerúndolo before breaking serve in the opening game of the third.
asserted
He → establish → third
One unfocused service game was enough to shift the momentum and once Fritz had lost control, he spent another two hours failing to retrieve it.
asserted
he → shift → it
His US Open ended with an excruciating 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 third-round defeat by a courageous Cerúndolo.
asserted
Open → end → Cerúndolo
Any early loss at a home grand slam is incredibly difficult to accept, but Fritz’s timing made it that much harder.
asserted
it → accept → slam
Having been ranked as high as No 4 last year, he is the most successful American male player of his generation.
asserted
he → rank → generation
In 2024, Fritz became the first American man to reach the US Open singles final since Andy Roddick in 2006, a breakthrough run sandwiched between two quarter-final losses to Novak Djokovic in 2023 and 2025.
asserted
Fritz → become → 2023
The 28-year-old is a tremendously committed and diligent competitor who, despite his athletic shortcomings, has eked so much out of his game.
asserted
who → eke → game
This year’s US Open, however, presents a completely different challenge for most of the men’s field.
asserted
Open → present → field
Jannik Sinner, the world No 1 and four-time grand slam champion, is absent due to injury and the now 39-year-old Novak Djokovic was dramatically defeated in the first round.
asserted
Djokovic → defeat → round
Carlos Alcaraz, the seven-time grand slam champion and defending champion, is competing his first tournament back from a four month injury layoff.
asserted
Alcaraz → defend → layoff
In the absence of an obvious favourite in obvious grand slam-winning form, this is such a great opportunity for any player with aspirations of winning a grand slam.
asserted
this → win → slam
Fritz, who was high up on the list of names hoping to take advantage, was understandably disgusted with the way he let this opportunity slip.
asserted
opportunity → hop → way
In the deciding set he had three break points for a 5-3 lead and the chance to serve for the match.
asserted
he → decide → match
“I don’t even know what to say,” he said.
asserted
he → know → what
“I don’t really want to talk to anybody, see anybody.
asserted
I → want → anybody
I kind of just need to get out for a couple days and then just get back to work.
asserted
I → need → work
I don’t know how I let that happen today.”
asserted
that → know → ?
At the beginning of the day, seven American men remained in the singles draw: Ben Shelton, Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Learner Tien, Tommy Paul, Alex Michelsen and Michael Zheng.
asserted
men → remain → draw
In the bottom half of the draw, where the fourth-round berths were decided on Friday, there is an American man in each of the four matches.
asserted
berths → decide → matches
Fritz’s defeat is a warning to any of his compatriots with hopes of becoming the first American man since Roddick at the 2003 US Open to win a grand slam.
asserted
defeat → become → slam
More opportunity means more pressure.
asserted
opportunity → mean → pressure
The coming week will reveal so much about the character of every player in the men’s draw.
asserted
week → come → draw
Saturday proved a challenging day for American players.
asserted
Saturday → prove → players
Two days after Madison Keys completed one of the more dramatic comeback victories of her career, saving five match points en route to her tight three-set win over Anna Bondar, she endured one of her worst ever collapses.
asserted
she → complete → collapses
Keys led Zheng Qinwen 5-0 in the final set of their third-round match before collapsing in the final set as she lost 1-6, 7-6 (3), 7-5.
asserted
she → lead → set
“I think she started playing better; I started playing poorly,” Keys said.
asserted
Keys → think → ?
“Then I felt like I couldn’t play tennis any more, and it just was – it just felt like it was a much bigger deal than just playing a tennis match all of a sudden.”
asserted
it → feel → match
Keys, the 2025 Australian Open champion, said she believes a result like this had been coming for some time and will force her to address certain issues she has been dealing with.
asserted
she → say → issues
“I just feel like I’ve been struggling for a while now and I feel like I was able to kind of play through it for a bit,” she said.
asserted
she → feel → bit
“I’m sure everyone could kind of see that I was struggling a little bit, but inside it felt probably even bigger than that.
uncertain
it → ’m → that
Some weeks are easier than others, and this week is obviously one of the harder ones just because you care so much.
asserted
you → care → ones
Yeah, I’m going to have to make some changes.”
asserted
I → go → changes
Having won the Olympic gold medal and reached the top 10 in 2024, the Chinese player has fallen down the rankings since her return from elbow surgery and the 23-year-old was forced to come through qualifying here just to compete in the main draw.
asserted
old → win → draw
“Tennis sometimes feels like a rollercoaster,” Zheng said.
asserted
Zheng → feel → rollercoaster
“You see many times that people have a match point, but at the end [their opponent] makes a comeback.
asserted
opponent → see → comeback
Like today was just happening.
asserted
today → happen → ?
So this also gives me a lesson that in a tennis match you always have to be there.
asserted
you → give → match
It doesn’t matter if you are winning or losing, you have a match point or you don’t have a match point – you just need to be concentrated for every single point as long as you can.”
asserted
you → matter → point
…and 3 more, not listed.
