Zverev sweeps aside Darderi to complete the US Open last eight and a quarterfinal at all four majors, Blockx and Khachanov in
Alexander Zverev has now reached the quarterfinals of all four Grand Slams this season, the only man to manage it, the top seed beating No. 21 seed Luciano Darderi 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (3) for a 50th win of a year that already holds his first major title. He completes a US Open last eight that also gained Karen Khachanov, through from two sets to one down against Learner Tien, and Alexander Blockx, the first Belgian man ever to reach this stage in New York.
Alexander Zverev, US Open 2026 | © PsNewz
Alexander Zverev needed a tie-break to finish it and never looked like being taken further, the German top seed beating Italian No. 21 seed Luciano Darderi 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (3) to close out a US Open fourth round that ran from Monday night into Tuesday and completed a last eight containing the first Belgian man to reach this stage in New York.
It was Zverev’s 50th win of a season that already holds a first Grand Slam title, at Roland-Garros, and it means he has reached the quarterfinals of all four majors this year, the only man to do so. It is also his fifth US Open quarterfinal, making him the sixth active man to reach that many here.
Darderi, ranked No. 22, had beaten him in Rome earlier this season from four match points down, and arrived in the last 16 past English qualifier Harry Wendelken 6-2, 3-6, 6-2, 7-5, Czech qualifier Dalibor Svrcina 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4 and Australian wildcard Dane Sweeny 6-4, 6-3, 6-3. Zverev had come through five sets twice, against Italian Lorenzo Sonego 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7), 7-5, 6-4 and French player Quentin Halys 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-7 (3), 6-3, either side of Chilean No. 25 seed Alejandro Tabilo 6-2, 7-6 (2), 6-2.
The quarterfinals are Carlos Alcaraz against Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe against Alex Michelsen, Zverev against Botic van de Zandschulp, and Khachanov against Blockx.
Blockx serves through a rib injury to make Belgian history
In the other matches played on Monday, Alexander Blockx spent three sets unable to serve properly and became the first Belgian man to reach the US Open quarterfinals anyway, beating Argentinian No. 24 seed Francisco Cerundolo 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, 7-5. The Belgian No. 28 seed is 21, which also makes him the youngest Belgian man to reach a Grand Slam singles quarterfinal in the Open era, on his US Open main-draw debut and in his first tournament as a Grand Slam seed.
“Physically it was a real battle today on court,” he said. “I was struggling a lot with my rib, especially while serving. It kept getting worse throughout the match. Eventually the doctor gave me some medication, which really helped me towards the end of the third set, where in the fourth set I could finally serve normal again how I usually serve.” What happens next is not settled. “During those first three sets, I was really worried, because I felt like a really sharp pain in my rib. Right now at the moment it feels good. I’ve had some treatment, some medication, so hopefully it stays that way and gets even better tomorrow and upcoming match.”
He had already removed Italian No. 5 seed Flavio Cobolli 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-0, 6-3, after Argentinian Marco Trungelliti 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 and Chilean qualifier Tomas Barrios Vera 6-3, 6-4, 6-2. Cerundolo, ranked No. 25, is now 0-4 in Grand Slam fourth rounds and remains one win short of joining Tomas Martin Etcheverry as the only active Argentine to reach a major quarterfinal. He had come from two sets down to beat American No. 9 seed Taylor Fritz 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, after German Jan-Lennard Struff 5-7, 7-5, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 and Austrian Filip Misolic 6-4, 6-3, 7-5.
Khachanov comes from two sets to one down against Tien
Karen Khachanov, Blockx’s future opponent, ranked No. 50 and unseeded, trailed American No. 14 seed Learner Tien by two sets to one and won 7-5, 4-6, 6-7 (6), 6-1, 6-4 in just under four hours, on a court that wanted the other result. It is his seventh Grand Slam quarterfinal and his first here since the semifinal run of four years ago. Tien, 20, was in tears at the end.
The Russian put the margin down to a choice rather than a level. “It’s always a gamble in a way where you step in more, where you take a risk, or you decide to play more safe, and you push the guy to kind of miss. I’m super happy that I was mixing a lot. I was trying to dominate from the beginning. I was stepping in. I was taking the risks, trying to play aggressive under my terms. I think that was the difference towards the end of the match.” He was generous about what he had been up against. “Super talented guy. He passed me a few times. Incredible from running all over the court, extra balls coming back.”
Khachanov had beaten Canadian No. 3 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-2, 6-2, French player Benjamin Bonzi 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 and Argentinian Roman Andres Burruchaga 6-3, 6-0, 6-1. Tien, who had beaten Czech No. 17 seed Jakub Mensik 6-3, 1-6, 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-4, French wildcard Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 and Portuguese Nuno Borges 6-4, 6-1, 6-2, was the last American in action; his defeat leaves three in the quarterfinals rather than the four that would have been a first since 1995.
US Open 2026, men’s singles, 4th round
A. Zverev [1] vs L. Darderi [21]: 6-2, 6-2, 7-6(3)
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
