2026 US Open Friday Results and Highlights: Round 3 Recap
2026 US Open Friday results and highlights are in from Flushing Meadows, where Day 6 produced a full round of third-round tennis across both draws. If you are looking for who won on Friday at the US Open, every seeded contender at the top of the draw came through.
Several lower-ranked players still caused real problems underneath them. Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz survived a scrappy display to reach the fourth round. Tommy Paul turned the tables on Alexander Bublik in a five-set thriller.
On the women’s side, Aryna Sabalenka kept her bid for a third straight title alive. Jessica Pegula ground out a three-set win, and Emma Navarro pulled off the day’s biggest upset.
This US Open round 3 results and highlights recap covers every men’s and women’s match from Friday. It also includes the full schedule for Saturday’s round of 16.
Men’s US Open Friday Round 3 Results?
Four men’s matches were completed on Friday, headlined by the defending champion’s win over Yibing Wu. Here are the full 2026 US Open Day 6 results for the men’s bracket.
| Match | Score |
| (2) Carlos Alcaraz def. Yibing Wu | 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 |
| (7) Daniil Medvedev def. (26) Arthur Rinderknech | 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 |
| (20) Tommy Paul def. (15) Alexander Bublik | 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (4), 6-1, 6-3 |
| (11) Frances Tiafoe def. (22) Valentin Vacherot | 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 |
How Did Carlos Alcaraz Reach the Round of 16?
Carlos Alcaraz got past Yibing Wu in three sets, though the performance had more rough edges than the scoreline suggests. His forehand lacked its usual rhythm, and his first serve came and went throughout the match.
That was a fair trade-off, though, since he only returned to action recently after a four-month absence with a wrist injury. None of that changes his status as the man to beat in New York, and a cleaner display should follow as the tournament goes on.
Why Did Tommy Paul Need Five Sets to Beat Alexander Bublik?
Tommy Paul settled an old score on Friday. He came back from a set down to beat the man who knocked him out of last year’s US Open. Bublik raised his level after dropping the opener, taking the next two sets as Paul’s game dipped.
The American reset for the final two sets and barely put a foot wrong from there. He dropped only four games combined, while Bublik’s concentration unravelled at the same rate that Paul’s game sharpened.
Women’s US Open Friday Round 3 Results?
Seven women’s matches were completed on Friday, and the results reshaped several parts of the draw. These US Open Friday bracket highlights cover every women’s match below.
| Match | Score |
| (1) Aryna Sabalenka def. Kamilla Rakhimova | 6-3, 6-4 |
| (2) Jessica Pegula def. (31) Leylah Fernandez | 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 |
| (6) Linda Noskova def. (29) Ann Li | 6-2, 6-7 (6), 6-2 |
| (11) Marta Kostyuk def. (18) Ekaterina Alexandrova | 6-3, 6-2 |
| Taylor Townsend def. (15) Diana Shnaider | 6-2, 6-7 (3), 6-3 |
| (16) Sorana Cirstea def. (19) Jasmine Paolini | 6-3, 6-3 |
| (26) Emma Navarro def. (7) Karolina Muchova | 6-3, 7-5 |
New to following tennis odds and markets around a Grand Slam? Our US Open tennis betting guide breaks down how the markets around this tournament work, round by round.
How Did Aryna Sabalenka Win Her Third Round Match?
These 2026 US Open Friday results and highlights would not be complete without Aryna Sabalenka’s win. She barely gave Kamilla Rakhimova a foothold in the opening exchanges, running away with the first 16 points that landed on her own serve.
Rakhimova steadied things in the second set, but Sabalenka broke back at 4-4 and closed the match out from there. It was a night built on the world No. 1’s usual blend of firepower and aggression, finishing with 29 winners and 10 aces.
The match had an unusual subplot away from the tennis. Sabalenka later said the smell of marijuana drifting over the court had bothered her during play. That adds her name to a growing list of players who have complained about the issue at Flushing Meadows in recent years.
How Did Jessica Pegula Battle Past Leylah Fernandez?
Jessica Pegula made hard work of the opening set, leaking unforced errors and struggling to find her first serve. Fernandez cashed in to take it. Pegula flipped the script from there, sharpening her ball-striking to close out the next two sets. That booked her spot in the fourth round for a fifth year running.
What Other Results Came From the Women’s Draw?
Friday’s card mixed a couple of genuine upsets with results that went the way the seedings suggested.
- Emma Navarro’s win over Karolina Muchova was the biggest upset of the day, with the world No. 26 knocking out the No. 7 seed.
- Taylor Townsend was the only unseeded player to beat a seed on the day, getting past the No. 15 seed.
- Marta Kostyuk, Sorana Cirstea, and Linda Noskova all advanced as the better-ranked player, seeing off the No. 18, No. 19, and No. 29 seeds, respectively.
What Is the Schedule for the US Open Round of 16 on Saturday?
Round 4 gets Saturday underway with a full slate on both sides of the draw. These 2026 US Open Friday results and highlights now set up the following card.
Men’s US Open schedule
- 11:30 a.m. ET: (9) Taylor Fritz vs (24) Francisco Cerundolo
- 12:30 p.m. ET: (5) Flavio Cobolli vs Alexander Blockx
- 2 p.m. ET: Karen Khachanov vs Benjamin Bonzi; (21) Luciano Darderi vs Dane Sweeny; Michael Zheng vs Arthur Gea
- 4:30 p.m. ET: (31) Zizou Bergs vs Botic Van De Zandschulp
- 8:30 p.m. ET: (1) Alexander Zverev vs (25) Alejandro Tabilo; (14) Learner Tien vs (17) Jakub Mensik
Women’s US Open schedule
- 11 a.m. ET: (10) Amanda Anisimova vs Anastasia Potapova; Madison Keys (22) vs Zheng Qinwen
- 12:30 p.m. ET: (5) Mirra Andreeva vs Nikola Bartunkova; (8) Iga Swiatek vs Marie Bouzkova (25)
- 1:30 p.m. ET: (4) Coco Gauff vs Cristina Bucsa
- 5 p.m. ET: (2) Elena Rybakina vs Yuliia Starodubtseva
- 7 p.m. ET: (13) Naomi Osaka vs Elise Mertens (23); Iva Jovic (14) vs Alexandra Eala (17)
Friday’s play trimmed both draws down further. Every top contender came through safely, and a couple of upset winners reshaped the lower half of the women’s bracket. That wraps up this US Open third-round results recap, with round 4 picking up Saturday and tougher tests waiting for everyone still standing.
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