Six Top-10 Men Gone by US Open Fourth Round

Six of the men's top 10 were eliminated by the fourth round of the US Open, leaving only top seed Alexander Zverev, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and eighth seed Ben Shelton in the draw. The series of exits reshaped the men's tournament at Flushing Meadows while most of the leading women's seeds advanced safely.

BBC Sport reported that world number 10 Taylor Fritz was among the prominent casualties. The former US Open runner-up led Francisco Cerundolo by two sets in the third round before the 24th-seeded Argentine recovered to win. Former champion Daniil Medvedev then lost in the fourth round on Sunday, further reducing the number of established contenders.

Several other seeded players left New York after struggling physically. Fourth seed Novak Djokovic exited in the first round after physical problems, while third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime said dizziness affected him during his second-round defeat. Fifth seed Flavio Cobolli attributed a lack of energy in his third-round loss to his heavy match schedule and the New York heat.

The men's event had already begun without Jannik Sinner, who missed the tournament through injury. Alcaraz arrived after a four-month absence, creating an apparent opening for other leading players. Zverev, who won his first major title at the French Open earlier this year and later reached the Wimbledon final, remained alive in his half of the draw despite not consistently producing his best tennis.

The women's draw showed far greater stability through the same stage. Eleven of the top 16 seeds reached the fourth round, and each of the top six advanced. Two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka and Australian Open winner Elena Rybakina reached the last 16 without dropping a set, while third seed Jessica Pegula and fourth seed Coco Gauff also progressed without major alarms.

Karolina Muchova, Elina Svitolina and 2025 US Open runner-up Amanda Anisimova became the first women's top-10 seeds eliminated when all three lost in the third round. The remaining field also carried major ranking implications: Sabalenka entered the tournament as world number one, but Rybakina was guaranteed to overtake her by reaching the semi-finals, while Pegula and Gauff could move to the top by winning the title. The contrast left the men's championship unusually depleted and the women's race crowded with leading contenders.