Taylor Fritz had the U.S. Open match exactly where he wanted it.

Two sets to love ahead. A break of serve in the third set. The American No. 1 was rolling toward the second week of his home Grand Slam and appeared well positioned to take advantage of a wide-open draw.

Then, stunningly, it all slipped away.

Fritz suffered one of the most disappointing losses of his career on Saturday at the U.S. Open, squandering a two-set lead in a 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 loss to Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo in the third round.

For Fritz, the ninth seed and 2024 U.S. Open finalist, it was an especially painful defeat considering how well he had played entering the match. He had not dropped a set in his first two rounds and had looked like one of the most dangerous players remaining in the men’s draw.

For two sets, that assessment appeared entirely justified.

Fritz controlled the early stages of the match and took advantage of Cerundolo’s inconsistency to win the opening two sets. Even when the Argentine began creating opportunities, Fritz repeatedly found a way to escape trouble.

But the match began to change dramatically in the third set.

Fritz opened the set by breaking serve and appeared to be moving even closer to the finish line. Cerundolo immediately broke back, however, and the momentum gradually began shifting.

The Argentine became increasingly comfortable, particularly from the baseline, while Fritz began to struggle with errors and frustration.

Cerundolo took the third set 6-3.

Suddenly, what had looked like a straightforward victory became a fight.

The fourth set was even more troubling for Fritz. Cerundolo continued to raise his level while the American could not regain the rhythm that had carried him through the opening two sets.

Cerundolo won the fourth set 6-4.

And then came the deciding set.

Instead of recovering, Fritz continued to struggle as the match tightened. Cerundolo maintained his composure and played with increasing confidence, eventually completing the remarkable comeback with a 6-4 fifth set.

The final score was a gut punch for the American: Francisco Cerundolo defeated Taylor Fritz 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.

“I mean, I don’t even know what to say,” a despondent Fritz said afterward. “I don’t really want to talk to anybody, see anybody. I just need to get out for a couple days and then just get back to work. I don’t know how I let that happen.”

The loss was particularly shocking given Fritz’s previous record when holding a two-set lead. According to reports, he had been 44-1 in Grand Slam matches after taking the first two sets and was undefeated in that situation at the U.S. Open.

The disappointment also comes because the 2026 U.S. Open had begun to present Fritz with a significant opportunity.

As one of the highest-ranked players remaining in his section of the draw, Fritz had a chance to make another deep run in New York. Instead, his tournament ended before the fourth round, his earliest U.S. Open exit in four years.

Fritz had entered the tournament looking to build on his run to the U.S. Open final in 2024 and to put himself in position to become the first American man to win a Grand Slam singles title since 2003.

Those hopes are now over for another year.

Cerundolo, meanwhile, earned a memorable victory in his first appearance on Arthur Ashe Stadium and advanced to the fourth round of the U.S. Open for the first time.

For Fritz, however, Saturday will be remembered as a missed opportunity.

He was two sets ahead.

He had a break in the third.

He appeared headed toward the second week in front of the New York crowd.

And then, over the course of three increasingly frustrating sets, one of the United States’ best hopes at the 2026 U.S. Open watched his opportunity disappear.

It was not just a loss.

For Taylor Fritz, it was a collapse that will be difficult to forget.

Taylor Fritz in action during a Men’s Singles match on Day Seven of the 2026 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Saturday, September 5, 2026 in Flushing, NY. (Photo by Mike Lawrence/USTA)Discover more from World Tennis Magazine

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.