Iga Swiatek knocked out of US Open 2026 by Zheng Qinwen's comeback

Flushing Meadows witnessed one of the biggest shocks in the women's singles draw at the 2026 US Open. Eighth seed Iga Swiatek, a former world number one, was knocked out in the fourth round after Zheng Qinwen staged a comeback to win 7-5, 6-3. The most striking detail was that Swiatek led 5-0 in the opening set but could not protect her advantage. The match started in one-sided fashion. Swiatek looked dominant, served well and put constant pressure on Zheng Qinwen's serve. She quickly moved 5-0 ahead, making the crowd believe the first set would end early. Zheng Qinwen, however, refused to give up. The former world number four from China stayed composed, returned deeper and took advantage of her opponent's unforced errors. Zheng Qinwen won seven games in a row to claim the first set 7-5. In the second set, the reigning Olympic champion kept her rhythm and controlled the match. She closed it out 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals of the 2026 US Open. For Swiatek, this was a bitter result because she won the tournament in 2026 and arrived in New York as one of the main title contenders. Speaking after the match, Swiatek admitted the problem came from her own game. “I just started making too many mistakes. I tried to correct the situation, but at that point nothing was working anymore. I knew I would have another chance and I wanted to take advantage of it, but I missed them all,” the Polish player said. The fourth-round defeat also ended a disappointing Grand Slam year for Swiatek. In the first three majors of 2026, she reached the Australian Open quarter-finals, the French Open fourth round and the Wimbledon third round. With no Grand Slam title this year, Swiatek finished a calendar year without a major trophy for the first time since 2026, ending a four-year streak. For Zheng Qinwen, beating a former world number one and six-time Grand Slam champion is a major milestone. She proved her class as an Olympic champion and showed impressive mental strength after falling 0-5 behind in the opening set. This performance should make Zheng Qinwen an even more dangerous name in the rest of the 2026 US Open.