In this U.S. Open, the top stars keep going down. And the American men’s hopes keep going up.
Third-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime was the latest to fall by the wayside, Karen Khachanov handing him a one-sided, second-round caning, 6-7, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2. It was a lousy blow for the ailing Canadian, but lucky for the troop of Americans.
Ben Shelton, Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe lead a quintet of top 20 men still alive and out to snap the USA’s 23-year titleless drought in Grand Slams. The path is suddenly opening before their feet, with Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic and now Auger-Aliassime cleared out of the way.
“Obviously it’s a good opportunity for the Americans,” Fritz said. “Not because the draw is opening, just because there’s a lot of guys that are at that level and can play at that level. When you look … none of that affects me until I’m in the semis or the finals. I’d never play any of those guys earlier than that, so there’s no reason to have a different mentality than I normally would.
“If I can take it one match at a time and get to that point in the draw, then it’s like, ‘nice, I don’t need to play this person.’ I have a little more of an opportunity at that point. But the opportunity doesn’t really exist until deep, deep into the tournament. So I need to worry about getting myself to that point before I start putting extra pressure on myself, like ‘it’s more open, I have more of a chance.’ Because the rest of the tournament, up until that point, it’s the same as it always is.”
To be clear, no Slam is simple, and no championship comes cheap. Fritz knows that better than most, the last American man to make a major final — falling to Sinner in Flushing Meadows two years ago.
But the road to winning their home Slam is now littered on both sides with upset victims and casualties.
Sinner, the world No. 1, is sidelined with a knee injury. Djokovic, the greatest of all time, was eliminated in the opening round. And Thursday, Auger-Aliassime was sent home.
With Khachanov serving for the second set, Auger-Aliassime earned a pair of break points but wasted them with unforced errors. Then the Canadian committed five double faults to get thrashed in the third set.
The fourth was even worse, with Auger-Aliassime broken to start, both figuratively and literally. Khachanov charged to get a ball at the net on break point and chipped it over the Canadian. Auger-Aliassime let it go, but it landed in the court. He could only bend over in defeat.
“I’ve never felt quite like that. I’ve had cramps before. I’ve felt OK, tired towards the end of matches, but in a normal way. This was abnormal,” Auger-Aliassime said. “I’m not sure; I’m going to run some tests.
“After a set and a half, I just couldn’t feel well and was dizzy and seeing spots, and couldn’t recover. I thought maybe it would pass, but it didn’t. … So that’s the end of the tournament for me.”
But not for the hopes of an American men’s breakthrough.
Khachanov — who faces the Benjamin Bonzi-Ignacio Buse winner next — could play 14th-seeded American Learner Tien in the Round of 16.
Meanwhile, Fritz crushed Mattia Bellucci 6-0, 6-1, 6-1. He’ll face Francisco Cerundolo and is just two wins from a potential quarterfinal vs. Tien.
Shelton, Tiafoe, No. 20 Tommy Paul and Alex Michelsen are all safely through to the Round of 32, with Tien, Zachary Svajda and wild card Michael Zheng still alive entering Thursday night.
After American men claimed multiple majors in 2003 — Andre Agassi in Australia and Andy Roddick on home soil in Flushing Meadows — nobody could have foreseen them going 91 straight Slams without a title.
All the upsets — and even top seed Alexander Zverev looking vulnerable in a first-round escape — could crack the door. It’s up to the U.S. men to kick it open.
“Still got to beat seven guys however you slice it,” Tiafoe said earlier. “Carlos [Alcaraz] is still playing … a lot of good players.”
But fewer and fewer by the day.
