Nadal arrived in New York with concerns regarding the abdominal injury that led to his withdrawal from the Wimbledon semifinal, and his rustiness was evident in how much he laboured to win his first three matches. The Spaniard’s level did not see a drastic rise in his fourth round, and Tiafoe was the first opponent to take advantage with a sensational performance.

Rafael Nadal (ESP) (L) hugs Frances Tiafoe (USA) (R) after their match on day eight of the 2022 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

The American’s forehand was on fire, painting the lines with winners, and his massive first serve – which hit 18 aces – proved to be a huge weapon against Nadal. He will face Russia’s Andrey Rublev next, and there’s no ceiling on what he can achieve this week if he maintains this level.

As for Nadal, his schedule for the rest of the year is unconfirmed. He will need time and practice to return to form and fitness. The serve has been concerning all tournament.

Swiatek overturns deficit

Iga Swiatek of Poland defeats Jule Niemeier of Germany on day eight of the 2022 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports

Iga Swiatek may have amassed a reputation of blowing her opponents away, but against Germany’s Jule Niemeier on Monday, she had to win ugly.

The Pole was extremely slow out of the blocks, immediately dropping serve and losing the first set 2-6. The comeback did not take place in prolific fashion either. After trading breaks, Swiatek faltered a position to serve for the second set before breaking Niemeir to take it 6-4.

Evidently not at her best, Swiatek was boosted to be back into the contest and then whipped out a vintage 6-0 performance to round out the match. She’s got local favourite Jessica Pegula next, who is going to be a huge threat on the quick courts of New York.

Alcaraz and Sinner struggle

Carlos Alcaraz, of Spain, celebrates after winning a match against Marin Cilic, of Croatia, during the fourth round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, early Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Buoyed by the losses suffered by the top two seeds Daniil Medvedev and Nadal, the two promising talents know that they have a realistic shot at the title, and it seemed to weigh heavily on them.

Third seed Alcaraz took on 2014 champion Marin Cilic, and despite coming out of the blocks in solid fashion, he was pegged back twice to take it into a deciding fifth set. Alcaraz’s brilliant court coverage and technical ability were on display in the fifth though, as he rounded out a 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 win. A big result for him when the pressure was on, got Jannik Sinner next.

Sinner, on the other hand, has been done a few favours by the draw, but still seemed to stutter as he took on Bulgaria’s Ilya Ivashka. He looked the much better player in the first set, but had an early break cancelled out in the second before losing his serve on the final set. A dominant third set was followed by another hiccup while serving to stay in the fourth, before he completed a 6-1, 5-7, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 win.

Rest of the field

Jessica Pegula def. Petra Kvitova 6-3, 6-2

Andrey Rublev def. Cameron Norrie 6-4, 6-4, 6-4

Karolina Pliskova def. Victoria Azarenka 7-5, 6-7, 6-2

Aryna Sabalenka def. Danielle Collins 3-6, 6-3, 6-2