Zheng Qinwen staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Madison Keys at the U.S. Open, advancing to the fourth round in a match that highlighted a day of upsets at the tournament. Zheng, ranked No. 121 and a qualifier recovering from elbow surgery, overcame a significant deficit to win 1-6, 7-6 (3), 7-5 on Saturday at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York.

Keys, seeded 22nd and the 2017 U.S. Open runner-up, started strongly and built a commanding 5-0 lead in the final set, even holding a match point while serving at 5-1. However, she was unable to convert, and Zheng mounted an extraordinary rally, winning the last seven games in a display of resilience that left Keys visibly frustrated. “I think she started playing better; I started playing poorly,” Keys said after the match, acknowledging the sudden shift in momentum. Zheng credited her perseverance: "I’m just telling myself, ‘Keep holding every single point, never give up, stay there,’ and somehow little by little it just happened."

Zheng, who won the Olympic gold medal for China in 2024 and reached a career-high ranking of No. 4, had to qualify for the tournament due to a drop in ranking after surgery. Her victory sets up a challenging fourth-round match against 2022 champion Iga Swiatek.

The women's draw featured several other notable results. Two-time U.S. Open champion Naomi Osaka won her third-round match against Elise Mertens, although she admitted to struggling with her form during the match. Meanwhile, No. 17 seed Alex Eala of the Philippines was eliminated by No. 14 seed Iva Jovic, who will face Coco Gauff in the next round. Gauff, the 2023 U.S. Open champion, defeated Cristina Bucsa 6-3, 6-4 and remarked on her comfort advancing into the later stages of a major.

On the men's side, top-seeded players also experienced significant upsets. No. 9 Taylor Fritz, who had begun the tournament strongly, lost a five-set match to No. 24 Francisco Cerundolo after surrendering a two-set lead. Fritz expressed disbelief at the result, saying, "I don’t know how I let that happen today." Cerundolo, competing in his first match on Arthur Ashe Stadium, credited his improved play in the final two sets.

Amanda Anisimova, the No. 10 seed and a past U.S. Open runner-up like Keys and Fritz, was eliminated by No. 24 Anastasia Potapova in straight sets. Potapova, born in Russia and now representing Austria, converted a high percentage of break points and reached the round of 16, where she is set to face No. 5 seed Mirra Andreeva, the reigning French Open champion.

Additionally, No. 5 seed Flavio Cobolli, the French Open runner-up, was upset in four sets by No. 28 Alexander Blockx, contributing to a men’s draw that has now seen six of the top 10 seeds exit early.

The tournament continues to demonstrate the unpredictable nature of Grand Slam competition, with established champions challenged by emerging talents and qualifiers performing beyond expectations.