Three sets, no arguments
Brandon Nakashima came into Flushing Meadows seeded 16th. He left it before the third round.
Alex Michelsen beat his compatriot 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 earlier today in New York, the first genuine upset of the men’s second round. Nakashima never held a set point. He never really threatened one.
It caps another flat major for him. His best run in 2026 was a third round at Roland-Garros, which for a player of his seeding reads more like an accusation than a resume line. Nine American men were in action on Wednesday, and the one carrying a top-16 seed went out first.
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A day that never stopped
Tuesday’s rain left the tournament badly behind. The organisers responded by cramming 25 men’s singles matches into a single day, and the schedule ran from late morning until well past dark.
Daniil Medvedev, the seventh seed, took care of American Sebastian Gorzny in straight sets. Jessica Pegula needed 56 minutes to remove Sofia Kenin 6-3, 6-1, a brutal answer to the woman who had knocked out Venus Williams in the first round. Pegula, ranked third in the world, has dropped nine games in total across two matches.
Ben Shelton faced Hubert Hurkacz for the first time in his career, with a fourth straight third round on the line. Frances Tiafoe, seeded 11th, drew 20-year-old Japanese qualifier Rei Sakamoto.
The night belongs to the champions
Both defending champions were held back for the evening session. Carlos Alcaraz, playing his first major since a right wrist injury took him out of competition in April, met Portugal’s Jaime Faria. Aryna Sabalenka faced Russian player Polina Iatcenko.
Sabalenka is chasing something nobody has managed since Serena Williams between 2012 and 2014: three US Open titles in a row. Alcaraz is trying to reach a third round he has made in five of his six appearances in New York.
For Michelsen, the reward is a seed-free stretch of draw and the kind of win that reshapes a season. For Nakashima, it is another September spent watching.
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