Stefanos Tsitsipas produced one of the most dramatic comebacks of the 2026 US Open opening day, overturning a set and a break deficit to defeat 10th seed Arthur Fils 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-1, 6-4 at Louis Armstrong Stadium on Monday.
The Greek world No. 53, unseeded at a Grand Slam for the first time in nine US Open appearances, looked destined for a routine exit when Fils surged to a 5-3 lead in the second set. The Frenchman, riding high after winning the Cincinnati Masters last week — where he beat three top-ten players including Frances Tiafoe in the final — had dominated Tsitsipas in all five of their previous meetings, including a 6-0, 6-1 demolition in Miami four months ago.
But Fils faltered at the critical moment. Serving for the set at 5-4, he double-faulted to hand Tsitsipas a break back. The momentum shifted instantly. Tsitsipas held, then broke again, and the tiebreak became a one-sided affair as the Greek cleaned up 7-3 with a run of commanding forehands.
From there, Tsitsipas was a different player. The third set lasted barely 20 minutes as he ripped through it 6-1, striking winners from both wings with a freedom that had been absent for most of the preceding hour. The fourth set followed a similar script — an early break, composed holds, and a 6-4 finish that left Fils smashing his racket in frustration on the other side of the net.
Fifty winners told the story of a player who rediscovered his best tennis when it mattered most. Tsitsipas finished with more than double the winner count of Fils and converted four of his seven break-point opportunities.
"I'm speechless," Tsitsipas said courtside, visibly emotional. "I don't know what to say. It's an amazing start to the tournament. Guys, you had my back the entire match. Thank you so much."
Asked what he told himself when facing a break point at 3-5 in the second set that could have put the match out of reach, Tsitsipas offered a revealing answer: "Let go of expectations. I feel like we can get dragged with a lot of expectations. Carrying that heavy boat is not easy during a match, especially when the psychological game of a match like that is crucial."
The victory was all the more remarkable given Tsitsipas's turbulent recent history. A back injury wrecked the second half of his 2025 season, forcing him to end his year in September after winning just two Grand Slam matches across the entire calendar year. He arrived in New York ranked 53rd, his lowest position since he was 20 years old, with only three tour-level wins since May before a confidence-boosting title in Gstaad in July.
For Fils, the defeat raises questions about his ability to translate Masters-level dominance into Grand Slam results. Ranked 10th and on a six-match winning streak, the 21-year-old had every statistical advantage but could not close out a match he controlled for large stretches.
Tsitsipas faces South African Lloyd Harris in the second round.
Sources
- https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-01/aryna-sabalenka-carlos-alcaraz-us-open-first-round/107100648
- https://greekcitytimes.com/2026/09/01/stefanos-tsitsipas-upsets-arthur-fils-us-open/
- https://lastwordonsports.com/tennis/2026/09/01/most-shocking-us-open/
