Day 9 of the US Open 2026 completed the Round of 16, with Alexander Zverev, Iga Świątek, and Elena Rybakina all advancing, while Botic van de Zandschulp and Karen Khachanov survived epic five-set battles. Coco Gauff beat fellow American Iva Jovic, and Naomi Osaka fell to Rybakina in a blockbuster clash.

🎾 Men’s Highlights

• Alexander Zverev def. Luciano Darderi 6-2, 6-2, 7-6(3)
  • Zverev looked dominant, serving 13 aces and firing 43 winners. He’s now into his fourth straight Slam quarter-final.
• Botic van de Zandschulp def. Arthur Gea 3-6, 6-7(6), 7-6(9), 7-6(3), 6-4
  • A five-hour, 13-minute marathon where Gea held match point but couldn’t close it out.
• Karen Khachanov def. Learner Tien 7-5, 4-6, 6-7(8), 6-1, 6-4
  • Khachanov ended the young American’s dream run in another five-set thriller.
• Alexander Blockx def. Francisco Cerúndolo 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, 7-5
  • The Belgian teenager continues his breakout, reaching his first Slam quarter-final.

🎾 Women’s Results – Day 9 (Round of 16)

• Qinwen Zheng def. Iga Świątek 7-5, 6-3
  • Zheng came back from 0-5 down in the first set, winning seven straight games to shock the former world No. 1.
• Elena Rybakina def. Naomi Osaka 6-1, 6-4
  • Rybakina’s power overwhelmed Osaka, keeping her on track for a potential world No. 1 ranking.
• Coco Gauff def. Iva Jovic 6-4, 6-2
  • The defending champion looked composed, advancing in straight sets.
• Mirra Andreeva def. Anastasia Potapova 2-6, 6-4, 6-3
  • Andreeva fought back from a set down, continuing her breakout run.

📊 Fantasy League Impact

• Big winners: Teams with Zheng, Rybakina, Gauff, and Andreeva scored heavily.
• Upset pain: Świątek’s elimination punished managers banking on her consistency.
• Dark horses: Zheng and Andreeva are proving to be unexpected point machines, boosting risk-taking managers.

🏆 Prizes

Here’s what’s up for grabs at the end of the tournament:

1. R1000 – Champion’s purse 💰
2. R500 – Runner-up reward
3. R300 – Third place bonus
4. R200 – Fourth place prize
5. R100 – Fifth place prize
6. Wooden Spoon – Last Place

And to keep things spicy:

• 2 x R50 spot prizes 🎲 — randomly awarded to positions 17 and 42 on the leaderboard.

So even if you’re mid-table, you could still walk away with a surprise win!

There is also a mystery prize which will be revealed after the US Open.

📊 Fantasy League Leaderboard Update – US Open 2026 (After Day 9)

The Round of 16 is complete, and the leaderboard is heating up across all tiers — from the race for the crown to the battle for the wooden spoon!

🏆 Top of the Table

• Christopher Columbus stays in first place with 185 points, still the team to beat.
• Hit and Run is closing in with 179 points, just six points behind.
• Dropshots sits in third on 174 points, keeping the podium battle alive.
• Serving looks (169) and Hot Shots (168) round out the top five, separated by a single point.

⚡ Mid-Table Movers

• Canniballs (160) and Eish (156) are pushing hard to break into the top tier.
• Super smash and Miny Moe are neck-and-neck in the 150s, showing how volatile the mid-table can be.
• Kids pick (154) and SINsational (153) are lurking just outside the top 10.

🎯 Chasing Pack

• Teams like Tournament Director (150), Wobbles (149), and Arthur Ash’s Ace Mechanics (148) are still within striking distance of the top 10.
• The 140s are crowded — Fantasy Alive, Nutty Choice, and Rock solid are all jostling for position.

🪵 Battle for the Wooden Spoon

At the other end of the table, the fight is just as fierce — nobody wants to finish last!

• Pat’s Pick (97) and Le cote droit (96) are locked in a nail-biting duel for the wooden spoon.
• Just above them, Hit and Miss (100) and SUPERFICIAL (103) are nervously looking over their shoulders.