FLORENCE, September 5, 2026: Fiorentina finally scored their first Serie A goal of the season on Saturday. It still was not enough to earn their first point.

Mateo Pellegrino gave Fabio Grosso’s side the lead two minutes after halftime at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, briefly offering the home crowd the response it had been waiting for after two damaging opening defeats.

Torino overturned the game in eight second-half minutes.

Rolando Mandragora, who returned to Torino from Fiorentina only four days earlier, equalized in the 74th minute before Ché Adams completed the comeback in the 82nd, giving Ignazio Abate his first Serie A victory of the season and deepening Fiorentina’s alarming start.

The final score was Fiorentina 1-2 Torino.

The underlying numbers make the result even more uncomfortable for the Viola. Fiorentina produced 14 shots to Torino’s seven, generated 1.55 expected goals compared with Torino’s 0.63 and created considerably more attacking volume. Torino nevertheless left Florence with all three points.

For a club that entered the summer with major investment, a new coach and ambitions of climbing sharply from last season’s 15th-place finish, three defeats from three league games has already changed the tone around the project.

The Sports Encounter’s complete Serie A 2026-27 preview identified Fiorentina as one of the league’s most aggressive rebuilds and warned that a young, heavily changed squad would need results quickly enough to create patience around Grosso’s work.

That patience is now being tested much earlier than Fiorentina expected.

Fiorentina 1-2 Torino: Match at a Glance

Fiorentina Needed a Response After a Brutal Opening Two Weeks

The pressure surrounding this match existed before kickoff.

Fiorentina had opened their league season with a 4-0 defeat at Roma before suffering an even more emotionally damaging 3-0 home loss to promoted Frosinone during the club’s centenary celebrations.

Two matches had produced zero points, zero goals and seven conceded.

The Sports Encounter’s analysis of Roma’s explosive start provided some context for that opening defeat. Roma have subsequently looked like one of the strongest teams in Italy, but the scale of Fiorentina’s loss still exposed how far Grosso’s new structure had to travel.

The Frosinone result removed some of that contextual protection.

Fiorentina were playing at home, on a weekend designed to celebrate 100 years of the club, against a promoted opponent. Losing 3-0 turned an early-season concern into something much more serious.

Torino arrived with problems of their own.

They had lost 2-1 at home to AC Milan in the opening round and followed that with a 1-0 defeat against Monza. Like Fiorentina, they entered Matchday 3 without a point.

The Sports Encounter’s Serie A opening-weekend wrap documented Torino’s defeat to Milan and the wider uncertainty around several clubs adjusting to major summer changes.

Saturday therefore brought together two teams that needed evidence their new seasons were moving somewhere.

Fabio Grosso Changed the Team Again

Grosso continued searching for the right combination.

Fiorentina lined up in a 4-3-3 with David de Gea in goal, João Mário, Radu Drăgușin, Viery and Valde across the defense, and Nicolò Fagioli, Christ Inao Oulaï and Marco Brescianini in midfield.

Franco Mastantuono and Alieu Njie operated around Pellegrino in attack.

The selection underlined how quickly the summer rebuild has changed the squad.

Wilfried Gnonto, Pedro Gonçalves and Beto were all available from the bench after arriving late in the window, while Fiorentina were still trying to integrate several younger players into a team carrying immediate pressure.

The broader scale of Fiorentina’s recruitment was examined in The Sports Encounter’s early Serie A title-race and team-reset analysis.

Torino Arrived With Fiorentina DNA Everywhere

The most intriguing part of Torino’s lineup was how familiar several names looked to the home crowd.

Pietro Comuzzo started in the back three.

Niccolò Fortini played at wing-back.

Mandragora operated centrally.

All had Fiorentina connections.

Mandragora’s presence carried the strongest storyline because his move had been completed on September 1. Lega Serie A confirmed that Torino brought the midfielder back to the club as part of a late-window triple signing that also included Nathan Patterson and Daniel Bragança.

Four days later, Mandragora was back at the Franchi wearing granata.

By the end of the afternoon, he had scored the goal that changed the match.

Fiorentina Create More, Torino Control More of the Ball

The game developed along an unusual statistical split.

Torino finished with 61 percent possession, giving Abate’s side greater control of the ball.

Fiorentina created the larger quantity of attacking opportunities.

The Viola attempted 14 shots, twice Torino’s total of seven, and accumulated 1.55 xG. Torino generated only 0.63.

Those numbers normally point toward Fiorentina taking something from the match.

They did not.

This is where the defeat becomes particularly concerning.

Against Roma, Fiorentina could argue they faced a team playing at an exceptionally high level.

Against Frosinone, they were punished heavily during a poor team performance.

Against Torino, Fiorentina created enough attacking volume to win and still lost because the decisive moments belonged to their opponent.

Mateo Pellegrino Finally Ends Fiorentina’s Goal Drought

After two complete league matches without scoring, Fiorentina finally broke through almost immediately after halftime.

Radu Drăgușin supplied the assist and Pellegrino finished in the 47th minute.

The significance stretched well beyond making the score 1-0.

It was Fiorentina’s first Serie A goal of the new season.

For a team that had endured more than 180 league minutes without finding the net, the timing should have provided both tactical freedom and emotional relief.

Grosso could now ask Torino to chase the game.

Fiorentina could attack the spaces created when Abate’s players stepped forward.

The next phase instead became the point where the match gradually escaped them.

Mandragora Returns to Florence and Scores

Torino stayed patient.

Abate made changes in the 56th minute, introducing Rafik Belghali and Nathan Patterson. Giovanni Simeone and Daniel Bragança followed in the 70th.

The equalizer arrived four minutes later.

Eray Cömert provided the assist and Mandragora scored against the club he had left days earlier.

There was no need to manufacture symbolism around the moment.

The timing supplied enough of it.

Mandragora had been part of Fiorentina’s midfield until the closing days of the transfer market. His return to Torino was one of the most notable late Serie A moves officially confirmed after the window.

Now Fiorentina had watched their first lead of the season disappear through a player who knew the club, the stadium and many of the teammates standing around him.

Ché Adams Completes Torino’s Comeback Eight Minutes Later

The match was level for only eight minutes.

Belghali, one of Abate’s second-half substitutes, supplied the decisive pass in the 82nd minute.

Adams finished to make it 2-1.

Torino had overturned the match despite producing fewer shots and less xG than Fiorentina.

The winner also gave Adams an important early-season contribution in a Torino attack still searching for stability.

Abate’s substitutions deserve credit.

Belghali had entered in the 56th minute and created the winning goal. Bragança and Simeone arrived shortly before Mandragora’s equalizer, giving Torino fresher legs and more control through the final phase.

Fiorentina’s own attacking changes failed to produce the same return.

Gnonto and Arthur Atta came on at halftime. Beto and Pote followed later.

Despite the additional attacking options, Fiorentina could not recover after Adams put Torino ahead.

Fiorentina’s 14 Shots and 1.55 xG Make This Defeat Harder to Explain Away

Expected goals should never be treated as the final judgment on a football match.

They do help explain whether a scoreline matches the opportunities created.

Here, Fiorentina’s 1.55 xG compared with Torino’s 0.63 suggests the home side generated the stronger overall shot quality.

The raw shot count, 14 to seven, points in the same direction.

Torino still won.

That means Fiorentina’s problem on Saturday was less about failing to reach attacking positions and more about execution at both ends.

They did not convert enough of what they created.

They allowed Torino to turn a relatively modest attacking output into two goals.

That combination is extremely expensive.

Fiorentina Now Have One Goal and Nine Conceded After Three Games

Those numbers make uncomfortable reading.

Three games remain a tiny portion of a 38-match season, but Fiorentina’s starting position now creates pressure of its own.

Every future match becomes slightly heavier when the first points have still not arrived.

The team cannot simply evaluate development in terms of promising sequences, new-player integration or tactical progress.

Results have to begin supporting the project.

Fiorentina’s Summer Investment Raises the Pressure on Grosso

The frustration surrounding the start is amplified by what happened during the summer.

Fiorentina did not enter the season pretending to maintain the status quo.

The club changed coach and invested heavily.

The rebuild brought in players such as Gnonto, Pote and Beto, while younger talents were added to a squad designed to move much higher than last season’s 15th-place finish.

The Sports Encounter’s full-season Serie A analysis considered a European push possible if Grosso could turn the new pieces into a coherent side quickly enough.

That prediction now faces its first serious challenge.

Fiorentina are already nine goals down on aggregate across three defeats.

Their only league goal came in a match they subsequently lost.

The time required for a rebuild remains real.

Serie A does not pause while a rebuild develops.

Torino Finally Turn a Competitive Performance Into Points

Torino’s position is much healthier after Saturday.

The opening defeat against Milan was disappointing but competitive. AC Milan needed a second-half turnaround to win 2-1 in Turin.

The Sports Encounter’s coverage of Milan’s perfect early start showed how effectively Rúben Amorim’s side carried that opening victory into Matchday 2.

Torino then lost narrowly to Monza.

At Florence, Abate finally received a result for the work being done.

His side showed patience after falling behind, used the bench effectively and converted two of the limited high-value opportunities Fiorentina allowed.

The victory gives Torino three points and something more important at this stage of a new coaching cycle: evidence.

Ignazio Abate’s Changes Won the Second Half

Managers are often judged on substitutions only when a replacement scores.

Abate’s work here deserves broader credit.

Belghali directly assisted the winner.

Bragança gave Torino additional control after entering in the 70th minute.

Simeone added movement against a Fiorentina defense beginning to tire.

Patterson refreshed the right side.

The changes did not simply add new players.

They changed the rhythm of Torino’s performance.

Fiorentina had started the second half strongly and taken the lead.

Torino finished it as the side making the decisive actions.

Mandragora’s Goal May Become One of Matchday 3’s Best Stories

The transfer market regularly creates reunions.

Few happen this quickly.

Mandragora left Fiorentina for Torino on September 1.

Four days later, he started against Fiorentina.

In the 74th minute, he scored the equalizer.

The goal became even more significant because Torino completed the comeback minutes later.

This was therefore not an irrelevant consolation strike from a former player.

It was the moment that changed the direction of the match.

Serie A’s Early Weeks Are Already Producing Sharp Contrasts

Fiorentina’s crisis looks even more striking when placed beside teams whose new projects have accelerated immediately.

Roma have opened with dominant victories and eight goals across their first two games, a start examined in our Roma 4-0 Lecce report.

Atalanta have also found ways to win difficult matches, including Lazar Samardžić’s 96th-minute goal against Bologna. The Sports Encounter covered that in our Atalanta 1-0 Bologna analysis.

Those examples matter because early-season adaptation is happening at different speeds around the league.

Fiorentina currently sit at the uncomfortable end of that spectrum.

Fiorentina vs Torino Scorecard

Key Turning Points

• 47th minute: Mateo Pellegrino scores Fiorentina’s first Serie A goal of the season after an assist from Radu Drăgușin.
• 56th minute: Torino introduce Rafik Belghali and Nathan Patterson as Abate begins reshaping the match.
• 70th minute: Giovanni Simeone and Daniel Bragança enter, adding fresh energy before Torino’s comeback.
• 74th minute: Former Fiorentina midfielder Rolando Mandragora equalizes from Eray Cömert’s assist.
• 82nd minute: Belghali creates the winner for Ché Adams.
• Full time: Fiorentina finish with 14 shots and 1.55 xG but suffer a third consecutive Serie A defeat.

The Sports Encounter Verdict

Fiorentina produced their most competitive league performance of the season.

That makes losing it more painful.

They finally scored.

They created more chances than Torino.

They generated more than twice their opponent’s expected goals.

They led at home.

And they still finished with zero points.

For Grosso, the challenge has moved beyond creating better attacking situations. Fiorentina must become more efficient inside both penalty areas because positive phases of football are currently disappearing underneath decisive errors and missed opportunities.

Torino will view the afternoon very differently.

Abate’s team did not need to dominate the attacking numbers. They remained close enough to the match for their second-half changes to matter, and when the important opportunities arrived, they took them.

Mandragora’s equalizer gave the comeback its emotional centerpiece.

Adams gave it the result.

Fiorentina now leave Matchday 3 with three defeats, one goal scored and nine conceded.

Torino leave Florence with their first league victory and the feeling that their season has finally begun.

For more Italian football coverage, tactical analysis and live match reports, visit The Sports Encounter Soccer Hub.

Official competition and club information is available through Lega Serie A, ACF Fiorentina and Torino FC.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the Fiorentina vs Torino score?

Torino beat Fiorentina 2-1 at the Stadio Artemio Franchi in Serie A on September 5, 2026.

Who scored for Fiorentina against Torino?

Mateo Pellegrino scored Fiorentina’s goal in the 47th minute after an assist from Radu Drăgușin.

Who scored for Torino against Fiorentina?

Rolando Mandragora equalized in the 74th minute before Ché Adams scored Torino’s winner in the 82nd.

Did Rolando Mandragora score against his former club Fiorentina?

Yes. Mandragora scored Torino’s equalizer only days after completing his move from Fiorentina back to Torino.

Was Fiorentina’s goal their first of the Serie A season?

Yes. Pellegrino’s 47th-minute goal was Fiorentina’s first league goal of the 2026-27 season.

How many Serie A games have Fiorentina lost this season?

Fiorentina have lost all three of their opening Serie A matches.

How many goals have Fiorentina conceded after three games?

Fiorentina have conceded nine goals through their first three Serie A matches and scored once.

Was this Torino’s first Serie A win of the season?

Yes. Torino entered the match after losses to AC Milan and Monza and earned their first three points by winning in Florence.

Who had more shots in Fiorentina vs Torino?

Fiorentina attempted 14 shots compared with Torino’s seven.

What was the expected goals total for Fiorentina vs Torino?

Fiorentina generated 1.55 xG while Torino recorded 0.63, despite Torino winning the match 2-1.

NEW YORK, September 4, 2026: Carlos Alcaraz arrived at the US Open carrying a question nobody normally associates with a defending Grand Slam champion.

Could his body hold up?

Four months away from singles tennis because of a wrist injury had removed the normal preparation, rhythm and hard-court buildup that would usually precede a title defense. By the time Alcaraz returned to Arthur Ashe Stadium, Jannik Sinner was already out of the tournament through injury and Novak Djokovic’s pursuit of a 25th Grand Slam title had lasted only one match.

Five days later, the question around Alcaraz has changed.

The defending champion defeated Yibing Wu 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 on Friday to reach the fourth round of the 2026 US Open, extending his winning streak at Grand Slam tournaments to 17 matches and setting up one of the most attractive matches of the next round against American Tommy Paul.

Paul earned his place the hard way.

The No. 20 seed came through a five-set fight with Alexander Bublik, defeating the No. 15 seed 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-3. Daniil Medvedev, meanwhile, provided far less drama as the 2021 champion dismissed Arthur Rinderknech 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.

Those results added another layer to a men’s championship that has already lost Djokovic, Alex de Minaur, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Andrey Rublev, Lorenzo Musetti and several other seeded players before the second weekend.

Alcaraz has survived all of it.

More importantly, he increasingly looks like a player recovering his tennis while the draw around him keeps losing established contenders.

The Sports Encounter identified that possibility before the tournament in our analysis of the changing US Open men’s title race. Sinner’s withdrawal, Alcaraz’s uncertain fitness and Djokovic’s physical questions had created an unusually unstable field.

That instability is no longer theoretical.

US Open 2026 Men’s Tournament: Where Things Stand

Note: This report reflects completed results available through Friday evening in New York. Several third-round matches were still in progress or scheduled later when this article was prepared.

Carlos Alcaraz Is Starting to Look Like Carlos Alcaraz Again

That may be the most consequential development of the men’s tournament so far.

Alcaraz did not enter New York after Toronto, Cincinnati and weeks of hard-court competition.

His comeback began here.

The 23-year-old had not played a singles match since April because of the wrist injury that forced him out of Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the North American Masters events. The Sports Encounter examined the scale of that challenge in our analysis of Alcaraz’s return after four months away.

His first-round performance against Roman Safiullin therefore mattered beyond the result.

Alcaraz won 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.

There were understandable signs of rust, yet his movement remained sharp enough, his forehand carried its familiar acceleration and the wrist survived a complete best-of-five match.

The comeback also became one of the cultural stories of the opening round when Alcaraz debuted his Travis Scott and Nike look on Arthur Ashe Stadium. The Sports Encounter covered the intersection of tennis, fashion and his return in our report from his opening victory.

Round 2 was less comfortable.

Jaime Faria took the opening set 6-4 before Alcaraz responded with 6-0, 6-3 and 6-2 sets.

That recovery may have been more useful than another routine straight-sets victory.

It forced Alcaraz to deal with scoreboard pressure, adjust tactically and spend more time competing under Grand Slam conditions.

Against Wu on Friday, the improvement continued.

Alcaraz Beats Wu 6-3, 6-4, 6-1

Wu arrived with his own piece of history within reach.

The world No. 113 was attempting to become the first Chinese man in the professional era to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam.

For stretches of the opening set, his flat ball striking gave Alcaraz something to solve.

Wu recovered one break and showed why his power from the baseline can make him dangerous on a fast hard court.

Alcaraz responded immediately.

Once the defending champion regained control of the first set, the competitive distance between the players gradually widened.

The second set went 6-4.

The third went 6-1.

What began as a potentially uncomfortable afternoon eventually became Alcaraz’s most convincing performance of the tournament.

The 17-Match Grand Slam Winning Streak Changes the Conversation

Alcaraz’s current Grand Slam winning streak now stands at 17 matches.

He won the 2025 US Open, captured the Australian Open earlier this year and has now won his first three matches in New York.

The interruption came through injury rather than defeat.

That distinction gives his current run an unusual character.

For months, Alcaraz was absent while other players accumulated matches, rankings points and hard-court repetitions.

Once he returned to a Grand Slam court, the winning sequence resumed.

The Sports Encounter’s original US Open 2026 tournament preview positioned Alcaraz among the central men’s favorites but identified match fitness as the obvious uncertainty.

Three rounds have not completely removed that question.

They have significantly weakened it.

Tommy Paul Earns the Match American Fans Wanted

Alcaraz’s reward is one of the strongest fourth-round matches currently confirmed.

Tommy Paul had to spend considerably more physical capital to get there.

Alexander Bublik entered their third-round match as one of the more dangerous players remaining in the bottom half and had looked exceptionally sharp in Round 2, losing only five games against Adrian Mannarino.

Paul took the opening set 6-4.

Bublik answered 6-3 and then captured the third-set tiebreak to move within one set of the fourth round.

At that stage, the American needed to change the match quickly.

He did.

Paul dominated the fourth set 6-1 and carried the momentum into the decider, breaking Bublik’s resistance to take it 6-3.

The final score, 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-3, tells the story of a match that changed direction more than once.

Alcaraz vs Tommy Paul Is Now One of the Matches of the Tournament

This is where Alcaraz’s comeback receives a different type of examination.

Paul offers athleticism, court coverage and enough pace from both wings to prevent Alcaraz from dictating every rally on his preferred terms.

The American will also have the crowd.

Alcaraz acknowledged after beating Wu that the New York support could give Paul another source of energy.

The physical context is equally interesting.

Alcaraz completed his third-round match in straight sets.

Paul spent five sets dealing with Bublik.

That does not decide the next match, but recovery becomes part of the calculation when players enter the second week of a major.

The US Open’s official men’s singles draw now places Alcaraz and Paul together in a fourth-round matchup carrying championship implications well beyond one section of the bracket.

Daniil Medvedev Is Doing Something Useful: Staying Out of the Chaos

Some players dominate the first week of a Slam through spectacular tennis.

Medvedev has so far taken the quieter route.

The 2021 champion beat Hugo Gaston 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 in Round 1.

He followed that with a 6-1, 6-3, 7-5 victory over American wildcard Sebastian Gorzny.

On Friday, Medvedev defeated Arthur Rinderknech 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.

Three matches.

Three straight-sets wins.

No unnecessary five-set escape.

No major physical alarm.

No early exit.

That matters in a tournament where several leading men have already disappeared.

Medvedev’s New York History Suddenly Looks More Relevant

Medvedev’s relationship with the US Open is different from his relationship with the other majors.

New York has given him his only Grand Slam title.

Its hard courts reward his return position, defensive coverage and ability to turn apparently neutral rallies into uncomfortable exchanges.

When the draw was released, Medvedev did not dominate the title conversation.

Alcaraz’s return, Zverev’s rise, Djokovic’s pursuit of history, Shelton’s summer and Sinner’s withdrawal provided more immediate narratives.

The first week has altered that hierarchy.

Medvedev has quietly become one of the cleanest survivors.

Novak Djokovic’s Exit Changed the Tournament Before Most Players Had Settled In

The most important men’s result of the first week may still be the one that happened in Round 1.

Novak Djokovic lost to Mariano Navone 7-6(5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1.

Djokovic had entered the tournament pursuing a record 25th Grand Slam singles title.

His draw placed him in the same bottom half as Alcaraz, immediately creating the possibility of another major showdown later in the tournament.

That possibility lasted one night.

Navone’s victory removed the most accomplished Grand Slam player in the field and opened an enormous section of the bottom half.

The result also validated some of the physical concerns examined before the tournament in The Sports Encounter’s men’s title-race analysis.

Djokovic could still produce elite tennis.

The question was whether his body could repeatedly sustain the demands of best-of-five competition in New York.

Against Navone, that question arrived immediately.

Jannik Sinner’s Absence Had Already Removed the World No. 1

Djokovic’s exit came after the tournament had already lost another defining figure.

Jannik Sinner withdrew before the event because of a knee injury.

His absence changed the seeding, elevated Alexander Zverev to the No. 1 position in the draw and removed the player who would otherwise have been among the clearest championship favorites.

The Sports Encounter tracked those consequences from the draw stage in our analysis of the 2026 US Open brackets.

Before a ball was struck, the men’s championship had lost Sinner.

Before Round 2 began, it had lost Djokovic.

That is a remarkable amount of structural change in less than a week.

Alex de Minaur Becomes Another Major Casualty

Botic van de Zandschulp produced one of the strongest second-round upsets by eliminating No. 6 seed Alex de Minaur 6-4, 7-5, 6-2.

This was not a five-set escape decided by a late tiebreak.

Van de Zandschulp controlled the match in straight sets.

De Minaur had entered the tournament as an established second-week threat because of his speed, hard-court experience and ability to extend matches against more aggressive opponents.

His departure removed another seed from Zverev’s half of the draw.

Felix Auger-Aliassime Falls From the No. 3 Line

Perhaps the biggest seeding casualty after Djokovic was Felix Auger-Aliassime.

The No. 3 seed won the opening set against Karen Khachanov in a tiebreak before the match turned sharply.

Khachanov won the next three sets 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.

Auger-Aliassime’s elimination created another opening in the top half and strengthened Khachanov’s position as one of the experienced players capable of moving deep into the second week.

Andrey Rublev’s Exit Introduced Daniel Merida to the Wider Tennis World

Daniel Merida entered Round 2 without the profile of Rublev.

He left it with one of the tournament’s biggest wins.

Rublev took the first set in a tiebreak before Merida responded 6-2, 6-4, 6-4.

For a tournament already producing new names, unexpected routes and unusually open sections of the bracket, Merida’s result fitted the wider pattern.

Dane Sweeny Turned a Wild Card Into Something Much Bigger

One of The Sports Encounter’s favorite stories from the first week has come from Australian wildcard Dane Sweeny.

Sweeny lost the first set of his second-round match against Lorenzo Musetti.

Then he transformed the match completely.

The Australian defeated the No. 13 seed 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2, winning three consecutive sets with the kind of authority rarely associated with a player ranked outside the established elite.

Our full report on Sweeny’s breakthrough victory over Musetti explains why it belongs among the tournament’s strongest early-round stories.

Sweeny entered the US Open main draw as a wildcard.

He is now part of the third-round conversation.

Taylor Fritz Has Been Ruthless

If American supporters are looking beyond Tommy Paul, Taylor Fritz has provided perhaps the most emphatic performance by a home contender so far.

After defeating Darwin Blanch 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 in Round 1, Fritz dismantled Mattia Bellucci 6-0, 6-1, 6-1.

The scoreline is difficult to improve upon.

Fritz surrendered only two games.

His third-round match against Francisco Cerundolo will determine whether that momentum can survive a considerably stronger opponent.

The wider American question was one of the central themes in the US Open’s official men’s draw analysis.

Paul, Fritz, Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe have ensured the discussion remains relevant.

Ben Shelton Still Carries a Serious American Case

Shelton arrived in New York after another strong North American summer and with a growing sense that his ceiling at Grand Slam level remains considerably higher than his current résumé.

He survived a difficult opening against Tallon Griekspoor, recovering from a 6-1 first-set defeat to win 1-6, 6-1, 7-6(3), 6-2.

Round 2 brought another demanding opponent in Hubert Hurkacz.

Shelton came through 6-3, 5-7, 7-6(3), 7-5.

Two matches have required significantly more work than Fritz’s early rounds, but Shelton remains alive and dangerous.

Alexander Zverev Is Surviving, Even if He Is Not Cruising

Zverev carries the No. 1 seed after Sinner’s withdrawal.

His first two rounds have looked nothing like Alcaraz’s more controlled progression.

The German needed five sets to defeat Lorenzo Sonego in his opener, winning 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(7), 7-5, 6-4.

Round 2 brought another long match against Quentin Halys.

Zverev eventually prevailed 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-7(3), 6-3.

That means the top seed has already played ten sets across two matches.

The important fact is that he remains in the draw.

The less comfortable fact is the amount of work already accumulated before the second week.

The Men’s Draw Has Become a Contest Between Survival and Efficiency

Grand Slam tournaments are rarely won in the first week.

They can be lost there.

That difference is becoming important in New York.

Alcaraz has played ten sets through three rounds and lost one.

Medvedev has played nine and lost none.

Zverev has already played ten through only two matches.

Paul needed five against Bublik.

Shelton has already experienced two demanding matches.

Physical expenditure becomes increasingly relevant as the temperature, tension and opponent quality rise.

The US Open’s own Round 2 statistics showed how unusually demanding the early men’s tournament had become, including multiple recoveries from two sets down across the opening rounds.

Major Men’s Seeds Already Eliminated

Who Has Benefited Most From Djokovic’s Exit?

Alcaraz is the obvious answer.

The draw originally placed Djokovic in the defending champion’s half.

Any path toward the final potentially included a player with 24 Grand Slam titles and unmatched experience in late-round major tennis.

That obstacle disappeared on opening night.

It does not make Alcaraz’s route easy.

Paul is next.

Medvedev remains alive elsewhere in the bottom half.

Shelton and Tiafoe are still attempting to advance.

Other dangerous players are emerging.

Yet there is no reasonable way to evaluate the bracket without acknowledging that the removal of Djokovic significantly changes Alcaraz’s championship pathway.

Who Has the Best Men’s US Open Case Right Now?

The Alcaraz Question Has Flipped in Less Than a Week

Before the US Open, everybody knew what Alcaraz could do when healthy.

That was never the debate.

The uncertainty concerned how quickly a player could return from four months without singles competition and immediately negotiate seven best-of-five matches.

His opening week has supplied the first part of the answer.

Safiullin could not take a set.

Faria took one and then lost the next three.

Wu could not prevent the match from accelerating away from him.

Alcaraz has therefore gone from rehabilitation story to active championship favorite without needing a warm-up tournament to bridge the gap.

His earlier mixed doubles appearance alongside Serena Williams may have helped reacclimatize him to Arthur Ashe Stadium before the singles event began. The Sports Encounter covered that unusual preparation in our report on Williams and Alcaraz’s mixed doubles run.

What Happens Next at the US Open?

The men’s third round continues with several important matches still capable of changing the picture.

Zverev, Fritz, Shelton, Tiafoe, Learner Tien, Karen Khachanov and other contenders still need to secure their places in the last 16.

The tournament then moves into the phase where major contenders begin meeting each other rather than merely surviving the draw.

Alcaraz vs Paul is already confirmed.

That alone gives the fourth round its first genuine marquee men’s matchup.

The next wave of results will determine whether the top half remains anchored by Zverev or becomes even more fragmented.

The Sports Encounter Verdict

Five days into the men’s US Open, the tournament looks considerably different from the one that appeared on paper when the draw was released.

Sinner never made it to the starting line.

Djokovic lasted one round.

Auger-Aliassime, de Minaur, Musetti, Rublev and Bublik have followed him out.

Zverev remains alive but has already needed two prolonged matches.

Medvedev has moved through the first week with very little noise.

The Americans still have several meaningful contenders.

And Alcaraz, the player who arrived with perhaps the biggest physical uncertainty among the favorites, is beginning to look increasingly comfortable.

His fourth-round match against Tommy Paul should tell us much more.

Paul will bring home support, athleticism and confidence from a five-set comeback against Bublik.

Alcaraz will bring fresher legs, a 17-match Grand Slam winning streak and the knowledge that many of the players expected to complicate his title defense are already gone.

The defending champion has not won the US Open again yet.

He has, however, survived the stage of the tournament where almost everything around him has changed.

For continuing match reports, analysis, player stories and Grand Slam coverage, visit The Sports Encounter Tennis Hub.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who did Carlos Alcaraz beat in the third round of the 2026 US Open?

Carlos Alcaraz defeated Yibing Wu 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 to reach the fourth round.

Who will Carlos Alcaraz play next at the US Open?

Alcaraz will face American No. 20 seed Tommy Paul in the Round of 16.

How did Tommy Paul beat Alexander Bublik?

Paul recovered from being two sets to one down to defeat Bublik 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-3.

Is Novak Djokovic still in the 2026 US Open?

No. Djokovic was eliminated in the first round by Mariano Navone in five sets.

Why is Jannik Sinner not playing the 2026 US Open?

Sinner withdrew before the tournament because of a knee injury.

Is Daniil Medvedev still in the US Open?

Yes. Medvedev reached the fourth round after defeating Arthur Rinderknech 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 and has not dropped a set through his first three matches.

How many sets has Carlos Alcaraz lost at the US Open so far?

Alcaraz has lost one set through his first three matches. Jaime Faria won the opening set of their second-round meeting.

Who is the No. 1 seed in the men’s US Open draw?

Alexander Zverev is the top seed after Jannik Sinner withdrew before the tournament.

Which major men’s seeds have already been eliminated?

Among the notable seeded players eliminated are Novak Djokovic, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Alex de Minaur, Lorenzo Musetti, Andrey Rublev, Brandon Nakashima and Alexander Bublik.

Can an American win the 2026 US Open men’s title?

Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, Tommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe are among the leading American players still attempting to make deep runs. Paul has already secured a Round of 16 meeting with defending champion Carlos Alcaraz.