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U.S. Open recap Day 3: Why a player escaping disqualification raised a familiar problem
The New York Times • • general
Key Points:
- Day 3 of the 2026 U.S. Open featured a dramatic match where Belinda Bencic was penalized for hitting a ball into the crowd, reigniting debate over tennis' inconsistent enforcement of defaults based on whether someone is injured.
- American Taylor Fritz, a veteran player, defeated young wildcard Darwin Blanch, highlighting the ongoing challenge for emerging U.S. players to develop beyond basic power shots to compete at the top level.
- Elena Rybakina, ranked No. 2 and nursing a left Achilles injury, won her first-round match convincingly, keeping alive her chance to become world No. 1 if she reaches the semifinals or if other top players falter.
- Gaël Monfils celebrated his 40th birthday during his final Grand Slam appearance with a spirited four-set win, energizing the crowd and becoming the oldest man to win a main draw match at the U.S. Open in 34 years.
- Other notable Day 3 results included top seed Alexander Zverev surviving a five-set match, Coco Gauff advancing smoothly, and several rising stars making strong starts, setting up exciting second-round matchups.
