Coco Gauff salvages brutal day for Americans as she rolls into US Open Round of 16
New York Post · RC · trust 18/100
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Add The New York Post on Google Coco Gauff continues to carry the mantle for American tennis.
On a day that saw multiple Americans and former U.S. Open finalists (Taylor Fritz, Amanda Anisimova, Madison Keys) suffer stunning third-round losses, Gauff extended one of the sport’s hottest streaks, defeating Cristina Bucsa, 6-3, 6-4, at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Gauff, the No. 4 seed and two-time Grand Slam champion, enters the second week of the U.S. Open for the fifth straight year, having won each of her first three matches in straight sets despite losing three of the first four games in Saturday’s match.
Coco Gauff celebrates her straight-sets win over Cristina Bucsa in the third round of the U.S. Open on Sept. 5, 2026 at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST Dating back to last month’s title run at the Cincinnati Open, Gauff has won nine straight matches and 17 consecutive sets.
“I don’t think it necessarily affects how I play or how I go in, because I go in every match, like, thinking I’m going to get upset,” Gauff said of her compatriots’ losses earlier in the day. “I don’t know if that’s healthy or not. It’s something that you pay attention to.
“I prepare myself for the possibility … I think, if anything, it makes me have my guard up all the time, which makes me play better.”
Gauff’s victory ensured that each of the past six Grand Slam winners in women’s singles will reach the round of 16.
No. 8 Iga Swiatek advanced in straight sets with a 7-6 (3), 7-6 (3) win over Marie Bouzkova, while No. 5 Mirra Andreeva defeated Nikola Bartunkova, 6-2, 7-6 (5), joining No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, No. 2 Elena Rybakina, No. 3 Jessica Pegula and No. 6 Linda Noskova in the fourth round.
Another day, another bloodbath in the men’s draw.
Shortly after Fritz coughed up a two-set lead to be ousted by Francisco Cerundolo, No. 5 Flavio Cobolli was also eliminated in the third round, losing 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-0, 6-3 to No. 28 Alexander Blockx.
This year’s U.S. Open was a golden opportunity for several players looking to win their first Grand Slam title — due to the absence of Jannik Sinner, the four-plus-month layoff of Carlos Alcaraz and the first-round elimination of Novak Djokovic — but the top players in the men’s draw have fumbled their long-awaited chance, with only four of the top 10 seeds — and six of the top 16 — still standing, entering Saturday’s evening session.
No. 8 Ben Shelton is the highest-seeded player left in the men’s draw without a Grand Slam title, joining No. 1 Alexander Zverev, No. 2 Alcaraz and No. 7 Daniil Medvedev as the only top 10 seeds still in contention, following the early exits of No. 3 Felix Auger-Aliassime, No. 4 Djokovic, No. 6 Alex de Minaur and No. 10 Arthur Fils.
“That shows you how even the circuit is right now,” Cerundolo said. “Anything can happen right now … It’s open for anyone.”
Michael Zheng, the Columbia product who made the third round as a wild-card, was knocked off by Frenchman Arthur Gea in five sets, 7-6 (7), 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 over a marathon three hours and 54 minutes.
Gea — a Frenchman who entered the draw as a lucky loser — checked out of his hotel on Saturday morning, and will need to find accommodation ahead of the Round of 16.
American Iva Jovic made it past Filipino Alexandra Eala 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 to make her first-ever Round of 16 at the U.S. Open following a victory that eclipsed the three-hour mark.
“It took losing my earrings, falling literally flat out on the floor, cuts on my knees, mental breakdowns,” Jovic said. “It took literally everything.”
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