Arthur Ashe Stadium bore witness to pure Grand Slam theatre on Tuesday as the 2026 US Open quarterfinals commenced in Flushing Meadows, and our full review of the us open 2026 quarterfinals day 1 highlights recaps Carlos Alcaraz’s grueling four-set survival against Britain’s Jack Draper, Taylor Fritz’s career-defining upset of Alexander Zverev, and Aryna Sabalenka’s baseline demolition of Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng. With high-stakes semifinal berths on the line, the opening quarterfinal slate delivered electrifying drama across both the day and night sessions.
⚡ US Open QF Day 1: Final Scoreboard
Arthur Ashe Stadium
- [2] C. Alcaraz def. [25] J. Draper (6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4)
- [12] T. Fritz def. [4] A. Zverev (7-6(2), 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(3))
- [2] A. Sabalenka def. [7] Q. Zheng (6-1, 6-2)
- [13] E. Navarro def. [26] P. Badosa (6-2, 7-5)
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Men’s QF 1: Alcaraz Weathers the Lefty Firestorm from Draper
In a high-octane physical battle lasting 3 hours and 14 minutes, Carlos Alcaraz held off a ferocious challenge from Britain’s Jack Draper. Unleashing heavy left-handed forehand crosscourt angles, Draper broke Alcaraz in the second set to level the match and had break points early in the third.
However, Alcaraz tapped into his world-class improvisational genius. Hitting 44 total winners—including 11 successful drop shots that repeatedly dragged the 6’4″ Brit forward—Alcaraz stepped inside the baseline on big points, breaking Draper in the eighth game of the fourth set with a laser-guided forehand pass down the line to book his spot in Friday’s semifinals.
Men’s QF 2: Taylor Fritz Stuns Alexander Zverev at Night
The night session belonged to the American faithful as 26-year-old Taylor Fritz produced the match of his life to eliminate fourth-seeded Alexander Zverev in four breathtaking sets. Serving with pinpoint precision, Fritz won 83% of his first-serve points and fired 12 aces.
The decisive turning point came in the fourth-set tiebreak. Tied at 3-3, Fritz hit a blistering 104 mph second-serve return into Zverev’s feet, triggering an unforced forehand error before closing out the match on his first match point with an untouchable crosscourt backhand. The win sends Fritz to his maiden Grand Slam semifinal!
Women’s Quarterfinals: Sabalenka Flawless, Navarro’s Epic Comeback
⚡ Sabalenka 6-1, 6-2 Zheng
Aryna Sabalenka took just 73 minutes to dismantle Paris Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng. Crushing her forehands at an average speed of 81 mph (faster than the men’s tournament average), Sabalenka conceded zero break points and struck 16 winners to cruise into her fourth consecutive US Open semifinal.
🔥 Navarro 6-2, 7-5 Badosa (1-5 Comeback!)
Fresh off her upset over Coco Gauff, Emma Navarro staged an extraordinary escape. Down 1-5 in the second set, Navarro won six consecutive games, capitalizing on Paula Badosa’s mounting double faults to punch her ticket to Thursday’s women’s semifinals.
Semifinal Bracket Setup: What’s Next on Arthur Ashe?
With Tuesday’s victors confirmed, the top half of the semifinal bracket is officially locked:
- Men’s Semifinal 1: Carlos Alcaraz vs. Winner of Daniil Medvedev vs. Alex de Minaur
- Men’s Semifinal 2: Taylor Fritz vs. Winner of Frances Tiafoe vs. Grigor Dimitrov
- Women’s Semifinal 1: Aryna Sabalenka vs. Emma Navarro
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