Coco Gauff ended up on the scrap heap of the US Open alongside Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz after the defending champion was eliminated after a series of errors against Emma Navarro.
While Gauff was eliminated on Sunday, the USA’s hopes were revived when Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz reached the men’s quarterfinals, raising hopes of becoming the first home-grown Grand Slam champion since Andy Roddick’s victory in New York in 2003.
Third-seeded Gauff suffered a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 loss to her American teammate in the fourth round, but she was her own worst enemy, especially on serve, where she made 19 double faults – as many as in her first three matches combined – and also committed 60 unforced errors.
The 20-year-old’s elimination means that Serena Williams remains the last woman to defend her US Open title in 2014.
“I’ve lost in the first round the last two years and to get to the quarterfinals now is pretty crazy,” said Navarro, who will face Spaniard Paula Badosa for a place in the semifinals.
Gauff’s defeat was another heavy blow for the last Grand Slam of the season.
Djokovic, the defending men’s champion, was eliminated in the third round, his earliest exit in 18 years.
His crowd favorite Alcaraz, the 2022 winner in New York and reigning champion of the French Open and Wimbledon, was shocked in the second round.
“I gave it my all,” Gauff said. “Obviously there were things in the execution where I thought I wish I could serve better. I think if I had done that, it would have been a different story.”
Déjà vu for Emma Navarro. pic.twitter.com/ru4WyRGmPs
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) 1 September 2024
Her compatriot Tiafoe is, alongside former champions Andre Agassi, Roddick and Pete Sampras, the only American man to reach at least three quarterfinals of the US Open since 2000.
The 20th-seeded Tiafoe scored a 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 2-6, 6-3 win over Alexei Popyrin, who shocked Djokovic in the final round.
Tiafoe will face Bulgarian veteran Grigor Dimitrov for a place in the semifinals.
The 26-year-old is the second American in the quarterfinals after Fritz defeated Casper Ruud earlier in the day.
Tommy Paul can reach third place, but he has to get past world number one Jannik Sinner on Monday.
“I used to hit the ball against the wall and dream of playing at Arthur Ashe Stadium, where the Williams sisters won and where (Roger) Federer won about a million times,” Tiafoe said.
“I want to be a part of that. This dish brings out the best in me.”
Ninth-seeded Dimitrov defeated sixth-seeded Russian Andrey Rublev 6-3, 7-6 (7/3), 1-6, 3-6, 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2019, when he defeated Federer in what turned out to be the Swiss tennis legend’s last appearance in New York.
Alexander Zverev, who squandered a two-set lead in the 2020 final to lose to Dominic Thiem, reached his fourth quarterfinal by defeating American Brandon Nakashima 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2.
Fourth-seeded Zverev served 14 aces and hit 51 winners against 50th-seeded Nakashima.
Next up is a quarterfinal clash with 12th-seeded Fritz, who came from two sets down to win in the pair’s dramatic fourth-round match at Wimbledon in July.
“It was an incredible match. I expect a tough fight – it always is when I play against Taylor,” said Zverev.
Fritz beat 2022 runner-up and 8th-ranked Casper Ruud 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 with the help of 24 aces to reach his third Grand Slam quarterfinal of the year.
Make Tuesday free 🤩 pic.twitter.com/xq3TSbT4BC
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) 2 September 2024
New York-born Badosa reached her first US Open quarterfinal with a 6-1, 6-2 win over China’s Wang Yafan.
Despite the one-sided result, the first two games lasted 17 minutes. Badosa fended off all eight break points she faced.
“It was so humid that I thought I was going to die,” said the 26-year-old.
Second-seeded tennis player and Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka, who finished runner-up to Gauff last year, easily advanced to her fourth consecutive quarterfinal by defeating Belgian Elise Mertens 6-2, 6-4, hitting 41 winners in the process.
Sabalenka will next face either Zheng Qinwen or Donna Vekic, who faced each other in a rematch of the Olympic Games final won by the Chinese star.
