Former US Open champion Iga Swiatek was knocked out of the 2026 US Open after China’s Zheng Qinwen produced another remarkable comeback to defeat the six-time Grand Slam champion 7-5, 6-3 in the fourth round.
Zheng recovered from 0-5 down in the opening set, winning seven consecutive games to turn the match around. The victory sent the Olympic champion into the quarter-finals, where she will face Elena Rybakina.
Zheng turns 0-5 deficit into stunning win
Swiatek appeared to be in complete control after racing to a 5-0 lead. However, Zheng refused to surrender and produced a remarkable seven-game winning streak to take the first set 7-5.
The Chinese player then broke Swiatek’s serve twice in the second set and completed a straight-sets victory in one hour and 56 minutes.
It was another comeback from 0-5 for Zheng. Just days earlier, she had recovered from the same deficit in the deciding set against Madison Keys, also saving a match point during that comeback. (US Open)
Swiatek, the 2022 US Open champion, left the court in tears after the defeat. She had won eight of her previous nine meetings with Zheng before this match.
Qualifier Zheng reaches quarter-finals
Zheng entered the 2026 US Open through the qualifying draw after her ranking fell to No. 121 following surgery on her right elbow last year.
The 2024 Paris Olympic singles champion has now reached her third US Open quarter-final. She had previously been a finalist at the 2024 Australian Open but had not progressed beyond the quarter-final stage at the other Grand Slam tournaments.
Her next opponent will be Rybakina, creating a quarter-final between two players who have already made major statements at this tournament.
Rybakina sweeps aside Osaka
Elena Rybakina defeated four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka 6-1, 6-4 in just 66 minutes to book her place in the last eight.
The second-seeded Kazakh controlled the match from the outset and now has an opportunity to move to world No. 1. A victory over Zheng in the quarter-final would be enough for Rybakina to take the top ranking from Aryna Sabalenka.
Osaka’s movement was affected by an Achilles issue during the match, according to reports. Despite the defeat, the Japanese former champion had reached the fourth round after making a strong run through the tournament.
Gauff sets up Andreeva quarter-final
Fourth seed Coco Gauff defeated fellow American Iva Jovic 6-1, 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals.
Gauff, the 2023 US Open champion, controlled the opening set before Jovic mounted a stronger challenge in the second. The 18-year-old American, who was making her first appearance in the US Open fourth round, could not force a deciding set.
Gauff will next face reigning French Open champion Mirra Andreeva.
Andreeva reaches first US Open quarter-final
Andreeva defeated Anastasia Potapova 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 in a match lasting nearly two and a half hours.
The 19-year-old, seeded fifth, recovered after losing the opening set to reach the US Open quarter-finals for the first time. The result keeps alive her possibility of winning both the French Open and US Open in the same season.
The match ended on a dramatic note when Potapova injured her left knee during the final game. After the match, Andreeva went around the net and embraced her opponent. (US Open)
Zverev advances in men’s draw
In the men’s singles, Alexander Zverev defeated Italy’s Luciano Darderi 6-2, 6-2, 7-6(3) to reach the quarter-finals.
The German fourth-round victory means Zverev has reached the quarter-finals at all four Grand Slam tournaments in 2026, making him the only male player to achieve that feat this year, according to the supplied match report and current tournament coverage.
Zverev will next meet Botic van de Zandschulp, who defeated lucky loser Arthur Gea in a five-set battle lasting more than five hours.
US Open Quarter-Final Matchups
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Qinwen Zheng vs Elena Rybakina
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Coco Gauff vs Mirra Andreeva
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Alexander Zverev vs Botic van de Zandschulp
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Other quarter-final pairings to be determined from the remaining fourth-round matches.
The 2026 US Open is now entering its decisive stage, with Zheng’s comeback against Swiatek and Rybakina’s dominant win over Osaka among the biggest developments of the women’s draw.
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