Frances Tiafoe advanced to the third round of the 2026 US Open with a 6-3, 7-6(2), 7-5 victory over Japanese qualifier Rei Sakamoto at Louis Armstrong Stadium.
Tiafoe takes early control
The American broke serve in the opening game and used that advantage to secure the first set. Sakamoto’s powerful serve kept him competitive—he produced 18 aces—but errors at important moments prevented him from extending the match.
The second set became the turning point. Tiafoe briefly lost rhythm with consecutive double faults, but recovered in the tiebreak and won it comfortably, 7-2. Sakamoto continued to attack in the third, yet Tiafoe found the late break required to finish in straight sets.
A more efficient performance
Tiafoe had needed five sets in his opening match, making the shorter second-round contest valuable in a two-week Grand Slam. Reuters reported that Sakamoto finished with 40 unforced errors, offsetting much of the advantage created by his serve.
The result keeps Tiafoe among the leading American hopes in the men’s draw. No American man has won the US Open singles title since Andy Roddick in 2003, a drought that adds attention to every deep run by a home player.
Next challenge
Tiafoe is scheduled to face the winner of the match between Kamil Majchrzak and Valentin Vacherot. His ability to protect serve while reducing double faults will be important as the opposition strengthens.
Sakamoto leaves with evidence that his game can trouble established players. His first-round win and aggressive serving marked an encouraging main-draw run despite the second-round defeat.
