US Open 2026: Round of 16 Recap

The US Open Round of 16 is done, and it looked nothing like the draw anyone sketched out before the tournament began. Six of the men's top eight seeds are gone, the reigning world No. 1 never played a match, and a former world No. 4 crashed out in the first round for the first time in two decades. This recap covers how we got here, what actually happened across the fourth round, and who is left standing heading into the quarterfinals.

The Draw Got Torn Up Before Week Two Even Started

The 2026 men's draw was already unrecognizable before the Round of 16 began. Jannik Sinner, the world No. 1 and defending champion, withdrew before the tournament with a right knee injury. His first missed Grand Slam since his major debut in 2019. Several other seeded names never made it to New York at all, including Jack Draper, Holger Rune, Sebastian Korda, and Casper Ruud, all sidelined before or shortly after the draw was made.

Then came the results on court. Novak Djokovic lost in the first round to Mariano Navone in five sets, his earliest US Open exit in 20 appearances and his first opening-round Grand Slam loss since 2006. Felix Auger-Aliassime and Alex de Minaur both went out in the second round. By the time the Round of 16 arrived, six of the men's top eight seeds were already eliminated; only Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, and Ben Shelton remained from that group.

The women's draw thinned out just as fast, with 18 of the 32 seeds gone before the fourth round even began.

Men's Round of 16: What Actually Happened

Play was split across Sunday and Monday.

Sunday, September 6

Carlos Alcaraz defeated Tommy Paul 6-4, 6-3, 6-4, brushing off any concerns about rust following his layoff earlier in the year.
Frances Tiafoe outlasted Daniil Medvedev in three tight sets, 7-6(1), 6-4, 7-6(6), to reach his first quarterfinal since 2025.
Ben Shelton dismissed Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-2, 6-3, 6-4, hitting 11 aces and winning 84 percent of his first-serve points.
Alex Michelsen beat Tomas Martin Etcheverry 7-6(6), 6-4, 6-4 to become the first unseeded man this century to reach the US Open quarterfinals without dropping a set.

Monday, September 7

Top seed Alexander Zverev beat Luciano Darderi in straight sets to reach the quarterfinals.
Karen Khachanov outlasted 20-year-old American Learner Tien in a five-set thriller, 7-5, 4-6, 6-7(6), 6-1, 6-4, ending Tien's run just short of becoming the youngest American man in the US Open Round of 16 since Andy Roddick in 2002.
Alexander Blockx defeated Francisco Cerundolo 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, 7-5, becoming the first Belgian man to reach a US Open quarterfinal.
Botic van de Zandschulp got past Arthur Gea in a five-setter to round out the men's final eight.

That gives American men three of the eight quarterfinal spots: Tiafoe, Shelton, and Michelsen, guaranteeing at least one American in the semifinals.

Women's Round of 16: Upsets and All-American Matchups

The women's draw produced its own share of drama. Two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka beat Taylor Townsend in straight sets and will face Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova, who needed three sets to get past Marta Kostyuk. Jessica Pegula advanced past Sorana Cirstea to set up an all-American quarterfinal against Emma Navarro, a straight-sets winner over Anna Kalinskaya.

Elsewhere, Qinwen Zheng pulled off one of the tournament's bigger upsets, beating Iga Swiatek 7-5, 6-3, and Elena Rybakina ended Naomi Osaka's run in straight sets. Coco Gauff cruised past Iva Jovic to return to the quarterfinals for the first time since her 2023 title run, and Mirra Andreeva battled past Anastasia Potapova in three sets.

Quarterfinal Lineup

Men (September 8–9):

Quarterfinal
Frances Tiafoe vs. Alex Michelsen
Carlos Alcaraz vs. Ben Shelton
Alexander Zverev vs. Botic van de Zandschulp
Alexander Blockx vs. Karen Khachanov

Women: Sabalenka vs. Noskova and Pegula vs. Navarro are set, with the remaining two quarterfinal pairings coming out of Monday's results in the Zheng, Rybakina, Gauff, and Andreeva group.

What to Watch Into the Quarterfinals

Fatigue from five-setters. Khachanov, Blockx, and van de Zandschulp all needed extra sets to get through the Round of 16, how their legs hold up on a shorter turnaround is worth watching.
The American storyline. With Tiafoe, Shelton, and Michelsen all through, a US men's semifinalist is already guaranteed for the first time in a while.
Unseeded runs. Michelsen, Khachanov, Blockx, and van de Zandschulp have all outlasted seeded players to get this far. None of them are the players anyone circled before the draw.
The top of the draw. With Djokovic and Sinner both out before the second week, Alcaraz is the only pre-tournament top-four player left standing on the men's side.

The quarterfinals run September 8–9, with the women's final set for Saturday, September 12, and the men's final on Sunday, September 13.