A wave of seeding upsets swept through the men's draw at the US Open during the first week of competition, with ninth seed Taylor Fritz and fifth seed Flavio Cobolli both suffering stunning defeats that have reshaped the tournament landscape.
Fritz, who reached the final at Flushing Meadows in 2024, squandered a commanding two-set advantage against Argentina's 24th seed Francisco Cerundolo, falling 3-6 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-4 in the third round. The American had seized an early break in the third set but was unable to maintain his dominance as Cerundolo mounted an extraordinary comeback to advance to the fourth round.
Within the hour, Cobolli's tournament also unraveled when the Italian fifth seed collapsed against Belgium's 28th seed Alexander Blockx, losing 7-6 (7-4) 3-6 0-6 3-6. Having won a tightly contested opening set on a tie-break, Cobolli surrendered the third set without scoring a single game, a capitulation that ended his hopes of claiming a maiden Grand Slam title.
Fritz expressed his bewilderment at the turnaround, saying
I don't even know what to say. I don't really want to talk to anybody, see anybody. I need to get out for a couple days and then get back to work. I don't know how I let that happen today.
The exits of Fritz and Cobolli represent part of a broader collapse among the tournament's top seeds. In total, six top-10 seeds have been eliminated from the men's draw during the opening week of the event, which runs through 13 September 2026 at Flushing Meadows.
How the seeding structure has crumbled
The tournament's biggest shock came on the opening day when fourth seed Novak Djokovic, pursuing an historic 25th Grand Slam title, fell to Argentina's world number 49 Mariano Navone in five sets. Djokovic was left in tears following the defeat.
Tenth seed Arthur Fils of France became a first-round casualty, losing in four sets to former world number three Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece. The highest seed eliminated to date is Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime, the third seed, who lost to Karen Khachanov in the second round, the same stage at which sixth seed Alex de Minaur was defeated.
The withdrawal of top players before the tournament began also shaped the draw. According to the official entry documentation, Jannik Sinner withdrew from the men's draw ahead of the event, which altered the seeding structure at the top of the bracket.
What does this mean for the remaining contenders?
With so many seeds eliminated, the path to the final has opened dramatically for the survivors. German top seed Alexander Zverev, the French Open champion, has emerged as the clear favourite in his section of the draw. Zverev defeated Chilean 25th seed Alejandro Tabilo 6-2 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 to reach the last 16, securing victory in straight sets at 1:09am local time despite having to save two set points in the second set and survive two break points early in the third.
Zverev joked about his improved efficiency, saying
My coach was smart because he explained to me that a best-of five match doesn't means you have to play five sets - which I didn't know until today. I'm happy with the improvements and happy my level is going in the right direction. But I can still play better.
According to the official tournament draw, Zverev's next scheduled opponent is Italian 21st seed Luciano Darderi in the third round. The seeding structure means that with Cobolli and Fritz eliminated, Zverev and the winner of 14th seed Learner Tien versus 17th seed Jakub Mensik are now the only top-20 players remaining in the top half of the draw.
This configuration creates an extraordinary opportunity for Zverev. Should 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev fail to reach the semi-finals, Zverev could potentially advance to the final without facing a top-10 opponent, a scenario that would have been unthinkable before the week's upsets.
The American dream fades
For Fritz, the disappointment cuts deeper given the circumstances. The American was bidding to become the fifth American to reach the fourth round at this year's tournament, and with Jannik Sinner absent from the draw and Carlos Alcaraz only recently returning from a wrist injury, optimism had grown that a home winner might finally emerge 23 years after Andy Roddick's US Open triumph in 2003.
That possibility remains alive, but Fritz has squandered what many observers viewed as his best opportunity. His collapse against Cerundolo, who will now face Blockx in the fourth round with a quarter-final place at stake, represents a missed chance that may haunt the American as the tournament progresses.
Cobolli's exit was equally damaging to his Grand Slam aspirations. The Italian attributed his collapse to fatigue and tension, saying
I think my energy was a little bit lower than the other days. I feel a little bit more tight and maybe more tired.His loss of the third set to love in just 20 minutes proved the turning point in a match he had begun well.
British and American doubles progress
In the men's doubles competition, British pair Arthur Fery and Joshua Paris advanced with a 6-4 5-7 6-4 victory over India's Anirudh Chandrasekar and Belarus's Ivan Liutarevich. Britain's Neal Skupski and American partner Christian Harrison, seeded fifth, also progressed by defeating France's Arthur Reymond and Luca Sanchez 6-0 7-6 (7-3).
However, there was disappointment for David Stevenson and Marcus Willis, who lost 5-7 7-6 (7-2) 6-3 to France's 11th seeds Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul.
What happens next
The tournament continues with the remaining seeds attempting to navigate a draw that has become far more unpredictable. According to live results coverage, Cerundolo and Blockx will meet in the fourth round, while the winner of the Mensik-Tien match is projected to meet Zverev's section of the draw later in the tournament. The men's singles championship match is scheduled to conclude on 13 September 2026.
