Van de Zandschulp saves a match point and outlasts Gea in the fourth-longest match in US Open history
Arthur Gea held a match point and then served for the match, and finished 5 hours and 13 minutes of the fourth-longest contest in US Open history with nothing, Botic van de Zandschulp winning 3-6, 6-7 (0), 7-6 (7), 7-6 (3), 6-4 to reach his first quarterfinal in New York since 2021. Lucky losers are now 0-13 in Grand Slam fourth rounds.
Arthur Gea and Botic van de Zandschulp, US Open 2026 | © AP Photo/Adam Hunger/SIPA
Arthur Gea was one point from becoming the first lucky loser in history to reach a Grand Slam men’s quarterfinal, and he spent the next two sets losing it, the Frenchman beaten by Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp 3-6, 6-7 (0), 7-6 (7), 7-6 (3), 6-4 in the fourth round of the US Open on Monday evening in New York, after 5 hours and 13 minutes.
Van de Zandschulp next plays the winner of the fourth-round match between German top seed Alexander Zverev and Italian No. 21 seed Luciano Darderi.
The match point came in the third-set tie-break, on Gea’s serve. He came forward behind it and van de Zandschulp went for the forehand pass; Gea got a backhand volley on it and missed. He then served for the match in the fourth at 5-4 and did not hold, lost that tie-break 7-3, and was broken once in the fifth.
At 5 hours and 13 minutes it is the longest match of this year’s tournament and the fourth longest in US Open history, behind Daniel Evans against Karen Khachanov in 2024 at 5 hours and 35 minutes, Stefan Edberg against Michael Chang in the 1992 semifinal at 5 hours and 26 minutes, and Carlos Alcaraz against Jannik Sinner in the 2022 quarterfinal at 5 hours and 15 minutes.
Van de Zandschulp back in the last eight
It is a second Grand Slam quarterfinal for van de Zandschulp, 30 and ranked No. 70, and his first since 2021, when he came through qualifying here and lost to eventual champion Daniil Medvedev in four sets. He becomes the fourth Dutchman to reach the US Open quarterfinals more than once in the Open era, after Tom Okker, Richard Krajicek and Sjeng Schalken.
“VDZ” has done it the long way twice over. Monday was his second consecutive five-setter and he trailed in both, having beaten Belgian No. 31 seed Zizou Bergs 3-6, 7-6 (3), 4-6, 7-6 (6), 6-3 in the third round. In between he took out Australian No. 6 seed Alex de Minaur 6-4, 7-5, 6-2, after opening against English player Jan Choinski 6-3, 6-1, 7-6 (5).
Gea, 21 and ranked No. 87, had qualified for the second week as a lucky loser and leaves with the record intact: lucky losers are now 0-13 in Grand Slam fourth rounds. A win would have made him the first French man in a US Open quarterfinal since Gael Monfils in 2019, and the youngest Frenchman in a major quarterfinal since Richard Gasquet at Wimbledon in 2007.
He had come through five sets twice himself, beating Argentinian Juan Manuel Cerundolo 6-3, 2-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 and American wildcard Michael Zheng 7-6 (7), 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, with American Zachary Svajda 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 in between.
US Open 2026, men’s singles, 4th round
A. Zverev [1] vs L. Darderi [21] – Monday, Ashe, 7:00 PM session
B. Van de Zandschulp d. A. Gea (L): 3-6, 6-7 (0), 7-6 (7), 7-6 (3), 6-4
K. Khachanov d. L. Tien [14]: 7-5, 4-6, 6-7(6), 6-1, 6-4
A. Blockx [28] d. F. Cerundolo: 3-6, 6-4, 7-5, 7-5
F. Tiafoe [11] d. D. Medvedev [7]: 7-6(1), 6-4, 7-6(6)
A. Michelsen d. T. Etcheverry [27]: 7-6(6), 6-4, 6-4
B. Shelton [8] d. S. Tsitsipas: 6-2, 6-3, 6-4
C. Alcaraz [2] d. T. Paul [20]: 6-4, 6-3, 6-4
