Taylor Fritz's US Open campaign ended when Francisco Cerundolo overturned a two-set deficit to win 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, eliminating one of the tournament's highest-seeded Americans.
Fritz dominated early, carving out a two-set lead and breaking serve at the start of the third, but a single service lapse swung momentum. Cerundolo pressed the advantage, then tightened his game, leaving Fritz scrambling to regain control over the next two hours. The match ended with Fritz's backhand sailing long inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Late in the contest Fritz faced the most glaring opportunity, holding three break points that would have given him a 5-3 lead and the chance to serve for the match. He could not convert, Cerundolo forced a fifth set and then closed out the comeback, completing a victory that stretched beyond two hours of shifting rallies and pressure points.
Fritz, who has been ranked as high as No 4 and was the first American man to reach the US Open singles final in 2024, was left visibly distraught after the loss. "I don't even know what to say," he said. "I don't really want to talk to anybody, see anybody. I kind of just need to get out for a couple days and then just get back to work. I don't know how I let that happen today."
The result comes in a men’s draw already destabilised by absences and early exits, with Jannik Sinner sidelined by injury, Novak Djokovic eliminated in the first round and Carlos Alcaraz returning from a four-month layoff. That context amplifies the significance of Cerundolo's victory, handing him momentum and a clearer path into the tournament's later stages.
American hopes took further strain earlier in the day when Madison Keys surrendered a 5-0 lead in the final set and lost to Zheng Qinwen, 1-6, 7-6 (3), 7-5. Keys acknowledged recent difficulties and indicated the defeat will prompt changes, while Zheng reflected on the match's swings, saying, "Tennis sometimes feels like a rollercoaster," and stressing that concentration is required on every single point.
At the start 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. Fritz's exit serves as a warning that deeper runs will demand consistent execution, and it raises the stakes for those compatriots who still harbour grand slam ambitions.
Cerundolo advances to the fourth round and into a suddenly more meaningful position in a disrupted field. The coming week will decide which players can convert opportunity into a genuine run at the title.
