US Open: Zheng continues to surprise and threatens Rybakina's bid for the No. 1 ranking; Zverev holds his own against Alcaraz

China's Zheng Qinwen delivered another stunning performance on Monday, defeating Poland's Iga Swiatek to advance to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open, where Alexander Zverev also kept his hopes alive of dethroning Carlos Alcaraz.

On the U.S. Labor Day holiday, New York woke up to an early farewell for a former champion, Swiatek. The former world No. 1 fell to Zheng, the Olympic champion at the 2024 Paris Games, who continues to dazzle following the serious elbow injury that had sent her tumbling to No. 121 in the world rankings.

At the US Open, she had to win three qualifying matches but then knocked out two Grand Slam champions. Her first upset came against American Madison Keys, whom she rallied past after trailing 5-0 in the third set before taking it 7-5.

On Monday, she repeated the same feat against Swiatek, a six-time Grand Slam champion, including the 2022 U.S. Open. The Chinese player started the match down 5-0 against the former world No. 1 and was able to turn it around with seven straight games to take the first set 7-5.

She took the second set 6-3 against a desperate Swiatek, who left the court in tears as she closed out her first year without a Grand Slam title since 2021. "I guess that 5-0 comeback wasn't luck—that's all I can say," said a satisfied Zheng on the court.

Zheng, a tough challenge for No. 1 Rybakina

The 23-year-old Asian player had not made it past the first round at Roland Garros or Wimbledon since returning from elbow surgery she underwent in July 2025. In her next match, she'll face Elena Rybakina, for whom there will be much more at stake than just a spot in her first US Open semifinals.

The Kazakhstani, who crushed Japan's Naomi Osaka 6-1, 6-4 on Monday, needs just one more win to climb to the world No. 1 ranking for the first time, unseating Aryna Sabalenka. "Of course I want it—it's one of my goals," said Rybakina about the top spot she has been chasing for weeks.

Gauff returns to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2023

Another quarterfinal matchup will pit American Coco Gauff, the 2025 Roland Garros champion, against her successor on the Paris clay this year, Russia's Mirra Andreeva. For the first time since her 2023 title, Gauff advanced past the round of 16 with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over her 18-year-old compatriot Iva Jovic.

Much more dramatic was the victory by Andreeva, who came back from a set down against the Austrian Anastasia Potapova. Two and a half hours of battle between the two Russian-born players ended with Andreeva's 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Potapova, who played the final points despite injuring her left leg.

Zverev, "on the right track"

Following in the footsteps of Carlos Alcaraz, Zverev advanced to the quarterfinals with a convincing victory over Italy's Luciano Darderi. Zverev, the top seed following Jannik Sinner's withdrawal, crushed the Argentine-born player 6-2, 6-2, and 7-6 (7/3) in his first victory before midnight in New York.

"I don't know what I'm going to do now. Maybe I'll go to a practice court, maybe to a bar… just kidding," said the German, who has finished several of his matches after 2 a.m. "I think I'm moving in the right direction. Luciano played an almost perfect set in the third set, and I still won it, which is an incredible sign for me. I hope to keep it up," said Sascha, who had to go to a fifth set in his first two matches.

The Roland Garros champion has always found a way to survive as he watched his higher-ranked rivals disappear from his side of the draw: Felix Auger-Aliassime, Flavio Cobolli, Taylor Fritz, and Alex de Miñaur.

Alexander Blockx, the first Belgian player to reach the US Open quarterfinals

As a result, his unexpected opponent in the quarterfinals will be the Dutchman Botic Van de Zandschulp, ranked No. 70 by the ATP, who ended Frenchman Arthur Gea's run on Monday. Had he capitalized on the match point he had, Gea would have become the first "lucky loser" from qualifying to advance to the quarterfinals of a major tournament.

Argentine Francisco Cerúndolo once again hit his roadblock in the round of 16 at Grand Slams, falling to the surging Belgian Alexander Blockx 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, 7-5. Blockx, 21, will be the first Belgian player to reach the quarterfinals at Flushing Meadows.

He will face Russian Kharen Khachanov, a 2022 semifinalist, who defeated American prospect Learner Tien in five sets.