The second round of the 2025 US Open men's singles produced a compelling mix of notable upsets, dramatic comebacks, and contentious moments from the lower ranked players that will be remembered long after the tournament concludes. As the dust settled on Wednesday and Thursday's action at Flushing Meadows, the draw dropped a few high seeds, but all the top favorites still move on, looking forward to clash in the later stages of the tournament. Especially the Thursday's action reminded the magic of the Grand Slam's opening round - the marathon five-setters on the outer courts, where the underdogs perform the dramatic upsets within the buzzing crowds - that is what it's all about! Let's dive deep into breakdown of second round.
The Round of Upsets - Fairytale time for the underdogs
Majchrzak's Marathon Miracle
In one of the most dramatic matches of the tournament, Poland's Kamil Majchrzak staged a miraculous comeback from two sets down to defeat ninth seed Karen Khachanov 2-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-5, 7-6(5) in a grueling 4:23 hours epic. Majchrzak, ranked 76th in the world, came back from two sets down against the favorized opponent, who won all of their 4 previous encounters in comfortable manner. The Pole saved five match points in decisive set during own service games and came back level on the score in the right moment, being down a break almost since the start of 5th set. The Pole's aggressive approach paid dividends as he hit 67 winners in a match which was really good performance from both sides - even from Khachanov (79 winners to 62 unforced errors), despite getting upset from two sets up. This victory marked Majchrzak's first-ever win against a top 10 player and even first ever win against any opponent ranked in top 20. The day of milestones for Majchrzak gets concluded by being guaranteed to become the highest ranked Polish player after US Open, overtaking Hubert Hurkacz who is sidelined due to knee injury issues.
Glory Run of Altmeier
Stefanos Tsitsipas' miserable 2025 Grand Slam season reached a new low as he fell to Germany's Daniel Altmaier in a contentious five-setter, 7-6(5), 1-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5. The match, lasting over four hours, was marred by controversy when Altmaier employed an underarm serve in the fourth set, leading to a heated exchange at the net after the match. Tsitsipas, who received a coaching violation for his father Apostolos giving verbal instructions from across the court, has now failed to reach the third round at any Grand Slam this year – his worst major performance since turning professional. Altmaier saved a match point durign own serve at 4-5 in the deciding set, showing remarkable composure to close out his biggest career victory.
It's an absolutely heroic performance from the German, who produced two consecutive upsets related to odds, playing two back-to-back marathon five-setters, starting from 4:49 hours hassle against Hamad Medjedovic, followed by the 4:26 hrs of battle against Tsitsipas. The Greek could feel comfortable about the fatigue of his opponent before that match, but Altmaier showed up like he not cares at all, chasing for the most memorable run in his career.
Blanchet's Fairytale Run
The 26 years-old Ugo Blanchet celebrates the breakthrough time of his career, moving into third round of US Open as the player ranked 184th in ATP list. The Frenchman who not managed to score any main draw victory on ATP level this year (competing in Challenger Tour and mostly failing to qualify into top grade events) - achieved the career's milestone alredy by winning three matches to get into main draw of the US Open. The following events look like fairytale for Blanchet, who celebrated his first ever Grand Slam victory over Fabian Marozsan and followed that by a huge upset over 16th seed Jakub Mensik.
Despite winning the opening set tiebreak convincingly, leading 2 sets to 1 and firing 29 aces throughout the match, the 19-year-old Czech couldn't close out the victory, eventually succumbing 6-7(2), 7-6(5), 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(7). Menšík's inability to convert break points proved costly – he managed just 4 of 9 opportunities while Blanchet, ranked 184th in the world, showed remarkable composure to secure the biggest win of his career. The defeat continues Menšík's disappointing Grand Slam record in 2025, having failed to advance past the third round in any of the four majors despite his rising ranking and obvious talent. Another Czech awaits for Blanchet on his dream run, as the Frenchman faces Tomas Machac in round three.
Ruud's Confidence Crisis
Twelfth seed Casper Ruud's struggles continued as Belgian qualifier Raphael Collignon produced the upset of his life, winning 6-4, 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5. Collignon, ranked 107th and playing just his second Grand Slam main draw, showed remarkable poise after Ruud had taken control by winning the second and third sets. The 23-year-old Belgian's tactical adjustment – consistently slicing into Ruud's forehand before attacking – proved decisive in the final two sets. For Ruud, who admitted post-match he's playing with "little to no confidence," this marks his third Grand Slam exit before the third round in 2025, a shocking decline for the 2022 US Open finalist. All the credits to Collignon, though - the 23 years-old, who won two Challenger titles this season to break into the top 100, showed he can belong to a top level with his composed performance.
Rune's Five-Set Heartbreak
Holger Rune became another seeded casualty, falling to qualifier Jan-Lennard Struff in a topsy-turvy five-setter, 7-6(5), 2-6, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5. The 11th seed, who had been showing improved form recently, couldn't capitalize on his opportunities, converting just 3 of 9 break points while Struff's powerful serving (29 aces) and decent returning, occured to be decisive. The loss means Rune is still yet to grind the good run in Flushing Meadows, never passing the third round so far.
Top Favorites moving on
Sinner's Statement Performance
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner continued his imperious hard-court form with a clinical 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 demolition of Alexei Popyrin on Thursday evening. The defending champion, who has now won 22 consecutive matches at hard-court majors, needed just 99 minutes to dispatch the Australian who had stunned Novak Djokovic at the same stage last year. Sinner's dominance was evident in the statistics: he won 83% of his first-serve points, saved both break points he faced, and hit 28 winners to just 15 unforced errors. The Italian's relentless baseline pressure and improved serving continue to make him the tournament favorite as he pursues his third major title of 2025.
Alcaraz's Ruthless Display
Carlos Alcaraz delivered perhaps the most dominant performance of the tournament so far, obliterating Italian qualifier Mattia Bellucci 6-1, 6-0, 6-3 in just 96 minutes. The Spaniard's display was a masterclass in controlled aggression, winning 86% of his first-serve points while not facing a single break point throughout the match. This marked Alcaraz's most lopsided victory in a Grand Slam match by games won, dropping just four games total. The 2022 champion appears to be hitting peak form at the perfect time, sending an ominous warning to the rest of the field.
Djokovic's Slow Burn
Novak Djokovic's quest for a record 25th Grand Slam title hit an early speedbump against American qualifier Zachary Svajda before the seven-time US Open champion found his rhythm. After dropping the opening set in a tiebreak, Djokovic responded with typical resilience, winning the next three sets 6-3, 6-3, 6-1. The 38-year-old Serbian improved his remarkable record to 54-45 in majors after losing the first set – the most such wins by any man in the Open era. Despite the shaky start, Djokovic's 17 aces and improving groundstrokes as the match progressed suggested he's finding his form after not playing a competitive match in six weeks.
Fritz and Zverev Navigate Through
American fourth seed Taylor Fritz overcame a sluggish start to defeat Lloyd Harris 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-2, 6-4, keeping home hopes alive for a first American men's singles champion since 2003. Fritz hit 54 winners including 17 aces, winning 75% of his first-serve points once he settled into the match. Meanwhile, Alexander Zverev continued his solid if unspectacular form with a straight-sets 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Jacob Fearnley, though the German's 42 unforced errors suggest there's room for improvement as he chases his maiden Grand Slam title.