US Open: Tiafoe recovers from two sets to one down and finishes just before 1am

Frances Tiafoe was two sets to one down to a fellow American ranked far below him, in front of a crowd his opponent was busy taunting, and he came out the other side. The No. 11 seed beat Martin Damm 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Tuesday night in a match lasting close to four hours and finishing shortly before 1am, and reached the second round of the US Open.

Damm, who cupped an ear towards the New York crowd while leading by two sets to one, arrived with the best win of his summer behind him. The American beat Daniil Medvedev in the first round at the Winston-Salem ATP 250 the week before this tournament, one of four defeats in five matches that left the 2021 champion talking about taking up pickleball.

Tiafoe has spent his career winning matches in this country. Among active players, only Novak Djokovic, with 242, and Taylor Fritz, with 128, have more ATP-level wins on American soil than Tiafoe’s 126. He has reached the semi-finals here twice.

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Eleven days after the biggest final of his year

The win was his 38th of 2026, and it comes eleven days after he lost the Cincinnati Masters 1000 final to Arthur Fils, the largest final of his season. Fils went out of this tournament in the first round on Monday, beaten by Stefanos Tsitsipas 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-1, 6-4.

The recovery from a set down changes the shape of Tiafoe’s fortnight rather than merely extending it. Five-set wins in the opening round tend to cost more than they give, but a player who has just survived four hours against a compatriot playing at the top of his level arrives in the second round with something the straight-sets winners do not have.

He gets another big server there. Japanese qualifier Rei Sakamoto, 20, is through to the second round and is one of six players in the men’s draw designated by the ATP as its next generation.

US Open 2026, men’s daw, 1st round

A. Zverev [1] vs L. Sonego – not played
Q. Halys d. F. Diaz Acosta: 6-4, 7-5, 6-7(7), 6-1
A. Popyrin d. G. Dimitrov (Q): 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4
A. Tabilo [25] d. Y. Hanfmann: 6-3, 6-2, 6-7(7), 6-3
L. Darderi [21] d. H. Wendelken (Q): 6-2, 3-6, 6-2, 7-5
D. Svrcina (Q) d. V. Royer: 6-4, 6-3, 5-7, 5-7, 6-2
D. Sweeny (W) vs C. Moutet – not played
A. Fery vs L. Musetti [13] – not played
R. Jodar [12] vs T. Kokkinakis – not played
F. Marozsan vs M. Zheng (W) – not played
Z. Svajda vs D. Altmaier – not played
J. Cerundolo vs A. Gea (L) – not played
Z. Bergs [31] vs C. Taberner – not played
J. De Jong vs F. Passaro (Q) – not played
J. Choinski vs B. Van de Zandschulp – not played
A. Guerrieri (Q) vs A. De Minaur [6] – not played
F. Auger-Aliassime [3] d. R. Hijikata: 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5
K. Khachanov d. R. Burruchaga: 6-3, 6-0, 6-1
A. Molcan vs B. Bonzi – not played
M. Giron vs I. Buse [32] – not played
J. Mensik [17] d. S. Mochizuki (L): 6-1, 6-4, 7-5
J. Rodionov (Q) d. G. Mpetshi Perricard: 7-6(2), 6-0, 7-6(4)
A. Vallejo vs G. Monfils (W) – not played
L. Tien [14] d. N. Borges: 6-4, 6-1, 6-2
T. Fritz [9] vs D. Blanch (W) – not played
M. Bellucci vs Z. Piros (Q) – not played
C. Ugo Carabelli vs J.L. Struff – not played
F. Misolic vs F. Cerundolo [24] – not played
A. Blockx [28] d. T. Barrios Vera (Q): 6-3, 6-4, 6-2
M. Trungelliti d. J. Shang: 0-6, 7-6(5), 1-6, 6-3, 6-4
N. Basavareddy (Q) vs T. Schoolkate (Q) – not played
F. Comesana vs F. Cobolli [5] – not played
D. Medvedev [7] d. H. Gaston (Q): 6-4, 6-2, 6-4
S. Gorzny (W) d. R. Collignon: 3-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(9)
J. Munar d. T. Atmane: 6-7(5), 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(4), 7-5
A. Rinderknech [26] d. S. Shimabukuro: 6-7(4), 6-2, 7-6(4), 6-2
V. Vacherot [22] d. A. Kovacevic: 6-2, 6-3, 7-5
K. Majchrzak d. H. Medjedovic: 6-3, 6-3, 6-3
R. Sakamoto (Q) d. A. Vukic: 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-4, 3-6, 6-4
F. Tiafoe [11] d. M. Damm: 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
B. Nakashima [16] d. S. Baez: 6-2, 6-1, 6-0
A. Michelsen d. F. Cina (Q): 6-4, 6-1, 6-0
D. Merida d. M. Fucsovics: 6-4, 6-4, 6-2
A. Rublev [23] d. O. Virtanen (L): 6-7(5), 6-7(0), 6-0, 6-2, 7-6(5)
T. Etcheverry [27] d. V. Kopriva: 6-3, 6-4, 6-0
J. Fearnley (L) d. M. Landaluce: 4-6, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3
M. Berrettini d. S. Wawrinka (W): 7-6(4), 7-6(3), 6-0
M. Navone d. N. Djokovic [4]: 7-6(5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1
B. Shelton [8] d. T. Griekspoor: 1-6, 6-1, 7-6(3), 6-2
H. Hurkacz d. D. Dzumhur: 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, 6-1
D. Shapovalov d. M. Kecmanovic: 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1
L. Van Assche d. C. Norrie [29]: 6-7(6), 6-2, 6-2, 6-3
J. Lehecka [18] d. P. Carreno Busta: 6-1, 7-6(5), 4-6, 6-2
T. Samuel (Q) d. T. Machac: 6-2, 6-3, 6-2
L. Harris (Q) d. J. Kennedy (W): 6-4, 6-2, 6-2
S. Tsitsipas d. A. Fils [10]: 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-1, 6-4
A. Bublik [15] d. J.J. Wolf (W): 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1
A. Mannarino d. T. Tirante: 4-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3
D. Prizmic d. A. Shevchenko: 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 7-5
T. Paul [20] d. C. Wong (Q): 6-7(3), 6-1, 6-3, 6-3
J. Duckworth d. M. Arnaldi [30]: 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, 7-6(8)
Y. Wu d. A. Walton: 7-6(2), 6-2, 7-5
J. Faria d. J. Brooksby: 6-3, 7-6(4), 4-6, 1-6, 6-2
C. Alcaraz [2] d. R. Safiullin: 6-4, 6-4, 6-4