Alexander Blockx produced one of the standout performances of the tournament in the third round, taking down world No. 6 Flavio Cobolli in impressive fashion, including a bagel in the deciding set.
If he can maintain anything close to that level, he should be in a strong position against Francisco Cerundolo, who has not been at his best recently and was fortunate to come through his third-round encounter against Taylor Fritz.
Blockx Aims To Continue His Historic US Open Run
- Cerundolo is 0–3 in fourth-round matches at Grand Slam tournaments.
- He has a 28–10 record against players outside the Top 20 this year.
- Blockx has a 7–8 career record against Top 30 players.
- This is her maiden second-week appearance at a Grand Slam tournament.
HTH - Alexander Blockx leads 1-0
| Year | Tournament | Round | Surface | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Madrid | R16 | Clay | Alexander Blockx | 7-6(8), 6-2 |
Cerundolo Completes Stunning Comeback to Reach the Last 16
Francisco Cerundolo produced a huge upset by defeating Taylor Fritz from two sets down to reach the fourth round at the US Open, winning 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. After trailing by two sets, he turned the match around and saved all four break points he faced in the final two sets to complete an impressive comeback.
This is a particularly impressive effort from the Argentine, who arrived at the US Open after winning only one match across his previous four events. He had also never progressed beyond the second round in his previous five US Open appearances.
Cerundolo has already reached six quarterfinals or better on tour this year, including titles in Buenos Aires and at the Queen's Club, as well as a quarterfinal appearance in Miami. With one more win this week, he will return to the Top 20 in the rankings.
The Argentine had previously played three Grand Slam round-of-16 matches, including at the Australian Open earlier this year, but lost all three, with each defeat coming against a Top 10 opponent. With a more manageable opponent this time, he will be looking to reach his first Grand Slam quarterfinal.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Country | Argentina |
| Age | Born 13 August 1998 |
| Plays | Right-handed |
| World Ranking | No. 25 |
| Career High | No. 18 (5 May 2025) |
| Elo Ranking | No. 25 |
| Tour-Level Titles | 5 |
Blockx Stuns Cobolli to Continue His Breakthrough Run
Alexander Blockx defeated World No. 6 Flavio Cobolli from a set down to reach the fourth round at the US Open, winning 6-7, 6-3, 6-0, 6-3. He fired 17 aces and converted eight of the 21 break points he created during the match.
The Belgian is one of the rising talents on tour and has shown tremendous improvement this year. Before 2026, he had won only two main-draw matches at tour level, but this season he has produced several breakthrough results at Masters events, including a semifinal in Madrid and his maiden tour-level final in Estoril.
He has now carried that form onto hard courts this week. Before this campaign, he had never won multiple matches on the surface at tour level, but this run has changed that and will see him continue climbing the rankings, with a Top 30 debut now within reach.
Blockx has a 2-3 record in round-of-16 matches at tour level in his career. One of those victories came against none other than Francisco Cerundolo in Madrid earlier this year, and he will be looking to repeat that success this week.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Country | Belgium |
| Age | Born 8 April 2005 |
| Plays | Right-handed |
| World Ranking | No. 34 |
| Career High | No. 32 (27 July 2026) |
| Elo Ranking | No. 26 |
| Tour-Level Titles | 1 |