Coco Gauff marched into the fourth round of the US Open but compatriots, Amanda Anisimova and Madison Keys, exited on a mixed day for home hopes in New York.
Gauff, the most recent American champion in New York in 2023, did not have things all her own way but maintained her bid for a second triumph by overcoming Spain’s Cristina Bucsa 6-3 6-4.
However, Keys said she felt “scared” as she slumped to defeat despite leading her third set against China’s Zheng Qinwen 5-0, while last year’s runner-up Anisimova lost in straight sets.
But there still will be five American women in the last 16, with teenager Iva Jovic winning later on Saturday to join Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Taylor Townsend and Emma Navarro.
American players will also contest five of the eight fourth-round matches in the men’s draw, with Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul, Alex Michelsen and Learner Tien all through.
Despite the weight of expectation that she has had to deal with from a young age at her home major, the 22-year-old Gauff is through to the second week at the US Open for a fifth successive year.
Gauff, who became the first American teenager to win the US Open since Serena Williams in 1999 with her breakthrough major success three years ago, heads into the fourth round as the form player in the women’s game.
Victory over Bucsa was the 2025 French Open winner’s eighth straight-set WTA Tour-level win in a row.
The fourth round is where Gauff’s US Open challenge ended in the previous two editions, and she admitted that she struggled to handle the pressure last year.
But in recovering from a 3-1 deficit in the first set, and producing an immediate response to being broken to love in the second, Gauff demonstrated she is better placed to cope with that this time.
“I feel like I’m used to getting to the second week now. I woke up today and I was like ‘oh we’re already in round three’,” Gauff said.
Gauff goes on to face 14th seed Jovic, who came through a pulsating contest against Filipina sensation Alexandra Eala.
Both players showed why they are already firmly in the WTA Tour spotlight during a high-quality battle which ended in Jovic securing a 7-5 3-6 7-5 victory after three hours and three minutes.
Keys appeared on course for a first fourth-round appearance at her home slam since 2023 after taking a commanding third set lead against Olympic champion Zheng.
But the 2025 Australian Open winner would miss a match point and lose each of the final seven games in a 1-6 7-6 (7-3) 7-5 loss that stunned the crowd.
The 31-year-old Keys said she felt as though she “couldn’t play tennis anymore” in the final set.
Meanwhile, two-time champion Naomi Osaka fought back from a break down in the decider to see off Belgian 23rd seed Elise Mertens. –BBC
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