Taylor Fritz expressed bewilderment after surrendering a two-set lead to Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina in the third round of the US Open, marking one of six top-10 men's singles seeds to be ousted in the tournament's opening week. Fritz, the ninth seed, held an early break in the third set but ultimately fell to the 24th seed Cerundolo with a final score of 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.
Less than an hour later, Italian fifth seed Flavio Cobolli was defeated by Belgium's Alexander Blockx, 6-7 (4-7), 6-3, 6-0, 6-3. This further opened up the men's bracket.
Alexander Zverev, the German top seed and French Open champion, advanced to the round of 16 with a 6-2, 7-6 (7-2), 6-2 victory over Chile's 25th seed Alejandro Tabilo.
"I don't even know what to say," Fritz stated after his match. "I don't really want to talk to anybody, see anybody. I need to get out for a couple days and then get back to work. I don't know how I let that happen today."
Fritz, a finalist at Flushing Meadows in 2024, was aiming to be one of five Americans to reach the fourth round. With world number one Jannik Sinner absent due to injury and Carlos Alcaraz recently returning from a wrist issue, there had been growing anticipation for a potential American men's singles champion for the first time in 23 years, since Andy Roddick's victory. That possibility now rests with Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul, Alex Michelsen, and Learner Tien.
Cerundolo and 28th seed Blockx are scheduled to compete against each other in the fourth round for a spot in the quarterfinals.