US Open winners and losers as American men make a push after Week 1

NEW YORK - It's down to the final week for both men's and women's singles at the US Open, and there have been several storylines going into the year's last Grand Slam that make this event more intriguing by the minute.

There has been great tennis, stunning comebacks, fashion choices that had to be seen to be believed, and the overall madness that comes when attending matches at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center.

Going into the second week, seven of the top 10 seeds in the women's field are still alive, but only three of the men's seeds (Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Ben Shelton) are still around with a chance to collect that $5.5 million check come week's end.

The questions always remain: can one of the American men break through and get that coveted first Grand Slam, and can Aryna Sabalenka complete a three-peat that hasn't been seen at this tournament since Serena Williams was running roughshod through the field a decade ago?

Here are the winners and losers from the first full week of play at the US Open:

Winners

American men - Despite Taylor Fritz's flameout in the third round after blowing a two-set lead, there were five men representing the United States who made the fourth round, the most since 1995. Five American women also made it that far in the tournament. This might be as good a chance as any for the men have in the forseeable future to break a 23-year Grand Slam-less drought. No. 8 Ben Shelton, No. 11 seed Frances Tiafoe, and unseeded 22-year-old Alex Michelsen are already in the quarterfinals, and Learner Tien can join them later if he wins his fourth-round match.

Marijuana - The smokers of ganja could be looked at as losers, depending on who you ask. But in this context, the pungent smell around the Billie Jean King Tennis Center has players speaking up, making for some lively conversation, something the sport needs more of, especially when it comes from top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka, who is no stranger to telling it like it is. The tournament's top seed had to stop her third-round match against Kamilla Rakhimova because of the chronic smoke.

"I was, like, Guys, you can do whatever, you can smoke whatever, you can relax as much as you can, but please, do not do it around the tennis courts," Sabalenka said after the match. "It's a bit tricky to handle that smell while you're trying to compete at your best."

Iva Jovic - Jović, an 18-year-old California native and the youngest female still in the singles tournament, is a name to be reckoned with, just as her best friend, Alexandra Eala, has with her game and massive following to make her must-see TV. Jović defeated Eala in a thrilling third-round match, but Coco Gauff awaits, with a victory ensuring her a second Grand Slam quarterfinal appearance.

Losers

Schedulers - No sporting events should start any minute past midnight, but the first-round match between Venus Williams and Sofia Kenin didn't start until 12:13 a.m. ET, partly because Novak Djokovic's match went four hours, 36 minutes, and four sets before he was beaten by Mariano Navone. Four other matches during the first week finished after 1:30 a.m. The United States Tennis Association and its television partners, namely ESPN, are solely responsible for the schedule, and there must be a sensible way to fix this for all parties involved, especially the players.

Saturday meltdown - On Sept. 5, Amanda Anisimova, who was a 2025 finalist at the US Open, and Madison Keys both exited after upsets, and Taylor Fritz, the No. 9 seed, went home with them after blowing a two-set lead against Francisco Cerúndolo. Keys' meltdown was even worse, blowing a 5-0 lead in the third set, and she surrendered seven straight games to lose in dramatic fashion to Qinwen Zheng.

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