US OPEN. New York. By Leo Canaparo. Photo courtesy USTA
Taylor Fritz suffered one of the most painful defeats of his career on Saturday at the US Open, surrendering a two-set lead to Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo before falling 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in the third round at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
For Fritz, the defeat was particularly difficult to digest. The No. 9 seed had been considered one of the strongest American hopes to challenge for the title, especially after several major contenders had already been eliminated. He appeared to be firmly in control after winning the opening two sets and taking an early lead in the third.
But Cerundolo refused to disappear.The Argentine, seeded No. 24, gradually changed the rhythm of the match. After looking uncomfortable during the opening two sets, Cerundolo began to find his powerful forehand, improved his serve and started taking control of the longer rallies. The momentum shifted dramatically, and Fritz was unable to stop it.
Fritz even had opportunities to regain control in the decisive stages. At 4-3 in the fifth set, the American created three break points that could have put him in position to serve for the match. Cerundolo, however, saved all three and produced five consecutive points to hold, delivering one of the biggest turning points of the match.
Moments later, Cerundolo produced another huge forehand and broke Fritz’s serve, moving within sight of one of the biggest victories of his career. He closed the match after more than three hours of intense tennis, completing a comeback that had seemed almost impossible when he was two sets down.It was only the second time in Cerundolo’s career that he had come back from two sets to love down. Remarkably, his previous comeback from such a deficit also came at the US Open, against Matteo Arnaldi in 2025.
“I don’t know how I won,” Cerundolo admitted after the match. “Taylor is a top player. He has played the final here. It’s one of the toughest matches.”
The Argentine also acknowledged how dominant Fritz had been early in the contest.“He was playing way better than me for the first two sets. I wasn’t feeling comfortable at all,” Cerundolo said. “After I broke back in the third set I started to get into it step by step. In the fourth and fifth sets I thought I found my really good tennis.”
For Fritz, the loss was devastating. The American had entered the tournament without dropping a set in his first two matches and was hoping to make another deep run in New York after reaching the US Open final in 2024.
Instead, he became another victim of an increasingly unpredictable men’s draw.“I don’t even know what to say,” Fritz said. “I don’t really want to talk to anybody or see anybody. I kind of just need to get out for a couple of days and then just kind of get back to work. I don’t know how I let that happen today.”
The defeat also represents a major disappointment for American tennis. Fritz had been one of the leading candidates to end the long wait for an American men’s Grand Slam champion. The United States has not produced a men’s singles Grand Slam champion since Andy Roddick won the US Open in 2003.
Fritz’s collapse was particularly striking because he had previously been extremely reliable when holding a two-set advantage. Before Saturday, he had won 44 of 45 matches in which he had taken the first two sets, including a perfect 12-0 record in such situations at the US Open.
Cerundolo, meanwhile, moves into the fourth round for the first time in New York and equals his best Grand Slam result. The Argentine has now reached the fourth round at the Australian Open earlier this year and at Roland Garros on two occasions.
The victory is also significant because Cerundolo had entered the match with only one win in seven previous meetings against Top 10 players at Grand Slam tournaments. That lone victory came against Fritz himself, at Roland Garros in 2023.
Now, Cerundolo will face Belgium’s Alexander Blockx in the fourth round after Blockx produced another major upset by defeating No. 5 seed Flavio Cobolli.
The result leaves the American men’s hopes at the US Open under increasing pressure, while Cerundolo continues his extraordinary run in New York.
For Fritz, however, Saturday will be remembered as one of the most painful nights of his career — a match he appeared destined to win before watching it slowly, and dramatically, slip away.