Fritz Sweeps Blanch; Cobolli Rallies From Two Sets Down at US Open

Taylor Fritz secured a 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 victory over Darwin Blanch, while Flavio Cobolli overcame a two-set deficit to win in five sets.

Taylor Fritz, the American No. 9 seed, secured a 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 victory over 18-year-old countryman Darwin Blanch on Tuesday in the first round of the US Open. This win improved Fritz’s record to 20-5 since the conclusion of the 2026 French Open, marking the highest win total on the men's tour during that period. The victory also moved his three-year record at Flushing Meadows to 15-3, a significant shift from the 6-7 mark he posted across his first seven main draw appearances at the tournament.

In a simultaneous marathon on the men's side, No. 5 seed Flavio Cobolli staged a massive comeback to defeat Francisco Comesana 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. The match lasted 4 hours and 12 minutes, marking the first time in Cobolli's career that he successfully overturned a two-set deficit in a major. Prior to this result, the Italian held a 0-9 record in Grand Slam matches when trailing by two sets. Cobolli’s victory prevented him from joining a list of early seeds eliminated from the draw, which already includes No. 4 seed Novak Djokovic and No. 10 Arthur Fils.

Fritz Advances to Face Bellucci

Fritz noted that he felt nerves during the opening round and stated that while he served well, he believes there is significant room for improvement in his game. The American will next face Mattia Bellucci in Round 2, following Bellucci's straight-sets win over Zsombor Piros. With Darwin Blanch’s exit, 19-year-old Rafael Jodar remains the only teenager left in the men’s singles bracket.

Other seeded players found success on Tuesday as No. 24 Francisco Cerundolo and Jan-Lennard Struff both advanced to the second round with straight-set victories. The tournament is currently missing world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who withdrew due to a right knee injury. Meanwhile, No. 1 seed Alexander Zverev was scheduled for a night match on the final day of the opening round.

Cobolli Makes History in Five-Set Thriller

Flavio Cobolli’s turnaround against Comesana made him the first top-five seed to recover from two sets down in the US Open first round since David Nalbandian achieved the feat against Michael Berrer in 2006. Cobolli attributed the shift in momentum to a bathroom break taken after the second set, during which he changed his entire kit. The 2026 French Open runner-up, who lost that final to Zverev, now holds a 10-3 record in the opening rounds of majors and a 3-1 record in Grand Slams this year.

Weather Disruptions at Flushing Meadows

Rain showers that started Monday night persisted through Tuesday afternoon, causing significant delays on all outer courts. Because of the weather, play was initially restricted to Arthur Ashe Stadium and Louis Armstrong Stadium, both of which utilized their retractable roofs to maintain the schedule. Outdoor matches were unable to begin until the middle of the afternoon when the conditions finally cleared. These weather patterns are expected to continue intermittently through the middle of the week.