In the absence of Novak Djokovic, banned from entering United States territory because he has not been vaccinated against Covid, world No.2 Alexander Zverev, who is recovering from a right ankle injury, and after the Sunday’s elimination of world No.1 and defending champion Daniil Medvedev, the Mallorcan was favorite to win a fifth Major at Flushing Meadows and bring his record of Grand Slam titles to 23.
But he fell on a Tiafoe (26th in the world) who played the match of his life when he himself regretted not having been able to play his best tennis.
“He played well, he did a lot of things very well. On my side, I had my chances, and if I want to be in the quarters, I have to play better than that,” said the 36-year-old Spaniard. .
“You have to be ready to seize the chances that arise. And I wasn’t able to. He knew how to do it, he played with the right determination,” he added.
Nadal only converted two of the six break points he got when Tiafoe won five of eight.
– Three-way race –
Nadal’s defeat leaves the race wide open for the place of world No.1 that Medvedev will automatically give up on September 12: the Spaniard remains in the running, but the chances of his compatriot Carlos Alcaraz and the Norwegian Casper Ruud, still in the running in New York, suddenly skyrocketed.
Tiafoe, who had never passed the round of 16 at the US Open (he had reached the quarters in Australia in 2019), therefore continued on his way.
“I don’t know what to say, I don’t believe it… I played incredible tennis, I don’t know what happened,” he said hotly, on a cloud, before leaving the Arthur-Ashe court where the feat and the ovation of the public had clouded his eyes.
It is he who will face the Russian Andrey Rublev (11th) for a place in the semis.
After having had to fight five sets in the previous round to dismiss the Canadian Denis Shapovalov in the super tie break in more than 4 hours of combat, the Russian got rid of the Briton Cameron Norrie (9th) 6-4, 6-4, 6- 4.
“We still played two and a half hours, it’s long!”, He underlined, half joking.
At 24, he will attempt for the sixth time to climb into the last four of a Grand Slam tournament, his third attempt in New York.
– Swiatek scares himself –
This 8th day of the US Open will see the Spanish phenomenon, Carlos Alcaraz (4th), try to qualify for the quarters (like last year for his first participation), by facing the Croatian Marin Cilic (17th and winner 2014) .
In the women’s draw, the American Jessica Pegula (8th) easily eliminated the Czech Karolina Pliskova (21st) 6-3, 6-2 and will play her first quarter-final at Flushing Meadows.
It will be against the world N.1 Iga Swiatek who scared herself before finally beating the German Jule Niemeier (108th) 2-6, 6-4, 6-0, in an erratic match where were committed in total 76 unforced errors and where 12 breaks were made.
“It’s really satisfying”, commented Swiatek, however, explaining: “It will be my first quarter-final in New York, so I’m really proud”.
The 21-year-old Polish, double winner of Roland-Garros (2020, 2022) and the first representative of her country to reach this stage at the US Open, was eliminated this year in the semi-finals at the Australian Open.
She then lost in the second round in Dubai but, from the next tournament, in Doha, she went 37 games without defeat, winning six titles, in Doha, Indian Wells, Miami, Suttgart, Rome and Roland-Garros, until to his fall in the third round at Wimbledon.
