Andreeva recovers to reach her first US Open quarterfinal as Potapova is hurt in the third
Mirra Andreeva turned the match around after losing the opening set and beat Anastasia Potapova 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 to reach her first US Open quarterfinal, at a tournament where she had never got past the third round. The 19-year-old Roland-Garros champion crossed the net to check on her friend after Potapova hurt her leg at 5-3 in the decider.
Andreeva – Potapova, US Open 2026 | © AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth
Mirra Andreeva lost the first set, changed the terms of the match in the second, and won a third she would rather have finished differently, the Russian No. 5 seed beating compatriot Anastasia Potapova, the No. 24 seed, 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 on Monday evening to reach the US Open quarterfinals for the first time.
At 19, the Roland-Garros champion is into a fifth Grand Slam quarterfinal, and the win was her 44th of 2026. New York had been the one major that would not open for her: a third round was her best result here before this fortnight. She has spent it dropping almost nothing, beating Indonesian Janice Tjen 6-2, 6-2, German Eva Lys 6-0, 6-2 and Czech Nikola Bartunkova 6-2, 7-6 (5) before Monday.
“Okay, if she wins, at least let’s make it hard for her.”
The turn came from a decision to stop absorbing. “In the second set, I just tried to really be more aggressive, to really try and dictate more, because I felt she was the one doing it more in the first set,” Andreeva said.
“So I tried to turn it around a little bit and then also to mix it up, break the rhythm a little bit as well, because she’s a great hitter. I feel like she likes when the ball comes fast to her.” The instruction she gave herself between sets was more modest than the result. “I just tried to tell myself that, o”kay, if she wins, at least let’s make it hard for her. At least she’s going to remember that this match was a tough win”.”
She never had to find out. Serving at 5-3, 15-0 in the third, Potapova went down with a leg injury, appearing to hyperextend it, and Andreeva walked around the net to check on her. The match was completed, but the finish took the edge off it. “I’m pretty happy with how I stayed in the fight,” Andreeva said. “Also, it’s not the perfect end to the match.”
Potapova, ranked No. 25, had reached the last 16 by beating Latvian lucky loser Darja Semenistaja 6-2, 6-2, French wildcard Leolia Jeanjean 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 and American No. 10 seed Amanda Anisimova 6-2, 7-5.
Andreeva plays the winner of the fourth-round match between American No. 14 seed Iva Jovic and American No. 4 seed Coco Gauff.
