Friday brought mixed fortunes for American players at the U.S. Open, with some major names making early exits while others advanced to the next round.
On the women’s side, World No. 11 Emma Navarro suffered a surprise defeat, but Jessica Pegula (No. 4), Taylor Townsend, and Ann Li all won their third-round matches.
For the men, World No. 6 Ben Shelton was forced to retire due to a shoulder injury, and No. 17 Frances Tiafoe also bowed out. However, Taylor Fritz, ranked No. 4, secured a solid third-round victory over Switzerland’s Jerome Kym.
Defending mixed doubles champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori also moved into the quarterfinals.
Among all the upsets, the early exits of Navarro and Shelton were the most unexpected. Navarro, a 2023 U.S. Open semifinalist, came in with strong momentum—having reached the Australian Open quarterfinals and won a WTA-500 title earlier this year.
Shelton’s departure was equally disappointing. The sixth seed had been in peak form with a 14-2 record on hard courts this season and had recently claimed his first ATP-1000 title in Toronto. Hopes were high for a deep run similar to his 2023 semifinal showing, but a shoulder injury forced him to retire after four sets against unseeded Adrian Mannarino.
On the upside, Taylor Townsend delivered a major surprise by defeating No. 5 Mirra Andreeva—someone she had never beaten before. Her victory followed a dramatic second-round win over Jelena Ostapenko that seemed to fuel her determination. Known more for her doubles play, Townsend has now reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time since the 2019 U.S. Open—an achievement few saw coming.
Looking ahead to Saturday, Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova, and Tommy Paul will aim to bolster the American presence in the round of 16. Gauff is set to play No. 28 Magdalena Frech, Anisimova will take on unseeded Jaqueline Cristian, and Paul faces a tough challenge against World No. 23 Alexander Bublik after a grueling five-set win over Nuno Borges.
