Coco Gauff Reaches US Open Fourth Round While Fritz, Keys, and Anisimova Exit
Coco Gauff advanced to the fourth round of the US Open on September 5, 2026, anchoring a difficult day for American tennis at Flushing Meadows while compatriots Taylor Fritz, Madison Keys, and Amanda Anisimova were knocked out of the tournament. According to Reuters and BBC Sport reporting, Gauff secured her spot in the last 16 with a 6-3, 6-4 straight-sets victory over Spain’s Cristina Bucsa.
The Home-Court Contradiction: Gauff Survives While Seeds Fall
While the 22-year-old fourth seed managed to navigate her early-round tests, the rest of the American singles contingent suffered heavy attrition. Ninth seed Taylor Fritz saw his tournament end in a 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 defeat to Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo, marking his earliest exit in four years at Flushing Meadows according to Reuters data. Fritz had not dropped a set prior to the encounter before Cerundolo engineered a tactical turnaround.
The women’s draw proved equally unforgiving for tournament veterans. Madison Keys surrendered a 5-0 lead in the deciding set and a match point before falling 1-6, 7-6 (7-3), 7-5 to China’s Zheng Qinwen on the Grandstand. Per tournament reporting, Keys admitted that pressure and fear affected her execution as the match tightened. Similarly, 10th-seeded Amanda Anisimova dropped out following a 6-2, 7-5 loss to Austria’s Anastasia Potapova, who successfully neutralized 13 of 16 break points through disciplined defensive positioning.
Tactical Breakdowns and Advanced Court Metrics
Facing Bucsa, the 2023 champion overcame early serving struggles by adjusting her court positioning to counter her opponent’s pace changes. Gauff noted in post-match comments reported by WTA Tennis that the Spaniard’s varied tempo made it difficult to establish a rhythm.
Zheng’s comeback against Keys required erasing a massive deficit through baseline endurance and deep court coverage.
Global Contenders Advance as the Second Week Approaches
International contenders capitalized on the elimination of the American seeds. World No. 2 Elena Rybakina advanced past Yuliia Starodubtseva 7-6 (8-6), 6-3, while 2022 champion Iga Swiatek overcame Marie Bouzkova 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-3) in straight tiebreak sets. Swiatek advances to face Zheng in a high-profile rematch of their Olympic semi-final encounter.
In the men’s bracket, top seed Alexander Zverev overcame a second-set lapse to defeat Alejandro Tabilo 6-2, 7-6 (7-2), 6-2. Meanwhile, Naomi Osaka maintained her tournament run with a 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 victory over Elise Mertens, securing a round-of-sixteen clash against Rybakina.
Gauff will next face 18-year-old American Iva Jovic, who advanced past the Philippines’ Alexandra Eala 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 in a three-hour battle. As the lone remaining high-seed American woman holding championship expectations in her half of the draw, Gauff’s physical recovery and tactical execution will dictate whether she can capture her second title in New York.