Lower-ranked men now face a clearer path at the US Open after six of the tournament's top 10 seeds were eliminated before the fourth round, reshaping the championship's competitive map. Those early exits hand opportunities to players who had faced tougher projected routes and put stamina and recovery at the centre of survival at Flushing Meadows.
The Story in Pictures
Taylor Fritz, the world number 10, was among the casualties, losing a two-set lead to Argentina's 24th seed Francisco Cerundolo in round three. Cerundolo captured the tenor of the men's event, saying, "It shows you how even the circuit is, how tight every match is, how difficult it is to win matches." The sequence of shocks has been linked repeatedly to illness, injury and fatigue after a long season.
High-profile examples underline that pattern. Novak Djokovic exited in the first round in a result commentators described as surprising, while Felix Auger-Aliassime blamed dizziness for his second-round defeat. Players cited heavy schedules and the New York heat: Flavio Cobolli said he lacked energy, and the draft notes a teenage Rafael Jodar appearing drained after an exhaustive breakthrough season. Arthur Fils, fresh from a Cincinnati title, went out in the first round to Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Players and pundits have also pointed to the psychological toll around the game's leading names. Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have dominated recent majors, accounting for 10 of the past 11 Grand Slam men's singles titles between them, a run that narrows margins and increases pressure on rivals. Pat Cash warned the focus on the pair skews the tour, saying, "With every win, Alcaraz is becoming more of a favourite. Four months off, no matches and he could win the US Open." Alexander Zverev described the burden of expectation on players, saying he "could not sleep" and was "not eating" during previous Slam stretches.
The men's turbulence contrasts sharply with a more settled women's field. Eleven of the top 16 women's seeds reached the fourth round, led by two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka and Australian Open winner Elena Rybakina, who both reached the last 16 without dropping a set. Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff progressed without major scares, and Mirra Andreeva and Linda Noskova left the top six intact.
That stability has produced a live ranking contest at the summit. Rybakina will overtake Sabalenka if she reaches the semi-finals, while Pegula and Gauff could claim the number one ranking by winning the title. Pegula summed up the depth on the women's tour, saying, "Looking at the difference between the points in the top 10 compared to the men, you can see how the depth is pretty crazy. Everyone has been very consistent and makes it hard to a certain extent [to win a Slam]."
As the tournament progresses, the tests diverge: for the men the immediate challenge will be managing fitness and weathering unpredictable upsets, while for the leading women the remaining rounds are likely to decide the year-end pecking order and the next occupant of the top ranking.
