Six Top-10 Men Exit Early as US Open Draw Opens Up

Six of the top 10 seeds in the US Open men's draw were eliminated before the fourth round, creating an unusually open path through the final Grand Slam of the season. BBC Sport reported that only top seed Alexander Zverev, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and eighth seed Ben Shelton remained from the men's top 10 after former champion Daniil Medvedev lost in the fourth round on Sunday.

Taylor Fritz was among the prominent early exits. The world number 10 led Francisco Cerundolo by two sets in their third-round match before the Argentine recovered to win. Cerundolo, the 24th seed, said the results reflected how closely contested the men's tour has become and how difficult it is to sustain a run of victories.

The tournament began without Jannik Sinner because of injury, while Alcaraz arrived after a long competitive absence. Sinner and Alcaraz have combined to win 10 of the previous 11 Grand Slam men's singles titles, but the disruption in New York has extended beyond their circumstances and removed several possible challengers.

Novak Djokovic, seeded fourth, went out in the first round as physical problems affected him. Third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime cited dizziness after his second-round defeat, while fifth seed Flavio Cobolli said he lacked energy during a third-round loss in New York's heat. Cincinnati champion Arthur Fils lost his opening match to Stefanos Tsitsipas, and teenager Rafael Jodar was also eliminated in round one after playing more than 50 matches during his first full tour season.

The women's competition has followed a more orderly pattern. Eleven of the top 16 seeds reached the fourth round, and the leading six seeds all survived. Two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka and Australian Open winner Elena Rybakina reached the last 16 without losing a set, while Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff also advanced without a major scare.

Karolina Muchova, Elina Svitolina and 2025 runner-up Amanda Anisimova were the first women's top-10 seeds eliminated, all falling in the third round. The remaining matches also carry rankings consequences: Rybakina is guaranteed to replace Sabalenka at number one if she reaches the semi-finals, while Pegula and Gauff could take the top position by winning the title.