Alexander Zverev, the men's singles top seed at the 2026 US Open, defeated Alejandro Tabilo 6-2, 7-6(7-2), 6-2 on September 6 to reach the fourth round, also known as the last 16 [1, 2, 3]. Zverev’s match lasted 2 hours 26 minutes, a notable reduction after he spent over nine hours in back-to-back five-set matches in his first two rounds combined [1, 3, 4]. "My coach was actually quite smart — he explained to me a best of five set match doesn’t mean you have to play five sets," Zverev said, reflecting on how he managed his effort [5]. He added, "I spent 10 hours on the court in two matches so I had to find my rhythm somehow, and I did. From back of the court I was much better" [5].

Zverev’s next opponent in the last 16 will be 21st-seeded Italian Luciano Darderi [1, 2, 6].

Meanwhile, American Frances Tiafoe reached the quarter-finals on the same day with a straight-sets win over former US Open champion Daniil Medvedev, 7-6(1), 6-4, 7-6(6) [7, 8, 9]. This victory marked Tiafoe’s first win in a regular match against Medvedev, who had previously beaten him 6 times in career meetings; Tiafoe’s only prior win was in a team event at the Laver Cup [7, 9]. After the match, Tiafoe praised the atmosphere at Louis Armstrong Stadium, calling it "the people's court" and credited the crowd's energy for his performance [7, 8]. He said, "Daniil has been so good, he's beaten me so many times. This is the first time I've beaten him in a regular match. Everything is feeling really good. I'm coming forward, I'm having fun" [7].

Tiafoe is now unbeaten in 10 appearances at Louis Armstrong Stadium, an impressive streak that continued with this match [7, 8, 9]. He had surgery last month to remove a cyst from his dominant hand but still reached the Cincinnati final weeks later, demonstrating strong form ahead of the US Open quarter-finals [8, 10]. "It's an out-of-body experience, no question," Tiafoe said of the crowd’s support. "No real explaining that type of feeling. It's like you're not even touching the ground at one point. Energy is so high, and it seems like the level of play matches that" [8].

Both Zverev and Tiafoe secured their spots in the next round on September 6. Zverev faces Darderi in the last 16, while Tiafoe awaits his quarter-final opponent following his landmark win over Medvedev.