US Open 2026: Rinderknech the only Frenchman in the third round after three days of rain

At Flushing Meadows on Tuesday and Wednesday, the rain ended up mattering more than the draw: three days of delays, and a first round completed forty-eight hours apart. The French leave these two days divided — two first wins in New York, four exits, and a single survivor in the third round.

Why is the draw three days behind?

Rain settled over New York on the opening Sunday, pushing seven outside-court matches into Monday. It came back on Monday, then on Tuesday — a third straight day — when no match could start on the uncovered courts before 1.30pm New York time.

Five first-round matches were postponed outright, including those of Alex de Minaur (6th seed) and Rafael Jodar (12th seed).

Only Arthur Ashe and Louis Armstrong, both covered, kept to their schedule: that is what allowed Alexander Zverev and Coco Gauff to play the night session untroubled by the sky.

On Wednesday, organisers cleared a fourteen-match backlog, despite a fresh interruption in the afternoon.

Who is Arthur Gea, the lucky loser who won?

He is the best French story of these two days. Arthur Gea, 21, ranked 87th, had lost in the final round of qualifying. He got into the draw as a lucky loser, replacing Casper Ruud, who withdrew with back trouble.

There he claimed his first Grand Slam win, over Argentina's Juan Manuel Cerundolo, in five sets: 6-3, 2-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1, in 3hr 06min.

Two sets to one down, he had just gone a break up in the fourth set when rain stopped the match. He converted it on the resumption, then ran away with a one-sided fifth.

"My level is stabilising quite high and I still have plenty of room to improve," said the Vaucluse native, who won the Los Cabos title in early August and broke into the top 100 in the same run.

In the second round he plays the winner of Altmaier vs Svajda, another match the rain pushed back.

Leolia Jeanjean finally wins in New York

Another first, at the other end of the generations: Leolia Jeanjean, 31, ranked 127th, handed a wild card by the French federation under its reciprocal agreement with the USTA, beat the Netherlands' Arantxa Rus 7-6(6), 6-2 in 1hr 48min.

It was her third appearance in the US Open main draw, and her first win. "It wasn't an unplayable round; I had to put in a serious match, and I'm happy I did," she said.

On Thursday she meets Russia's Anastasia Potapova, the 24th seed.

Why did Corentin Moutet retire?

The wrist. Corentin Moutet, ranked 62nd, troubled for several months, was returning to competition after skipping Cincinnati. He retired against Australia's Dane Sweeny, ranked 123rd and a tournament wild card, while trailing 7-6, 6-4, 3-0.

"It's been hurting for a long time," the Frenchman said.

Which French players are out?

Three more, including the best French woman of the moment.

Alexander Bublik brushed aside Adrian Mannarino in three straight sets: 6-3, 6-1, 6-1.
Denis Shapovalov knocked out Luca Van Assche 6-0, 6-4, 7-6.
Sorana Cirstea, ranked 17th and a seed, eliminated Diane Parry in the second round, 6-2, 7-5.

Parry's defeat is the cruellest. The French No. 1, ranked 31st — her career best — arrived on a six-match winning streak and with her first WTA 500 title, won at Monterrey the week before. The Romanian took her second match point at 5-4.

Of the four French women in the draw, Leolia Jeanjean is the only one left.

Who is best placed among the French?

Arthur Rinderknech. The French No. 2 saw off Spain's Jaume Munar 7-6, 6-2, 7-5 to reach the third round, where Daniil Medvedev awaits.

Two other French players are still in their second round: Benjamin Bonzi, who on Wednesday finished the first-round match the rain had interrupted, beating Alex Molcan 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, and Quentin Halys, who faces Alexander Zverev on Thursday. Halys had just taken his very first main-draw win in New York, after five first-round exits between 2021 and 2025.

What to make of the top of the draw?

The longest match is also the strangest: Zverev, the top seed, needed 4hr 53min to get past Lorenzo Sonego — 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(7), 7-5, 6-4 — in a match that finished at 1.55am. "I'm just happy I won, that's it. Incredible battle," he said.

Flavio Cobolli (5th seed) turned around Francisco Comesana after losing the first two sets: 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, the first comeback of that kind in his Grand Slam career.

None of the favourites slipped. Carlos Alcaraz, the defending men's champion, dismissed Jaime Faria 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2. Aryna Sabalenka, the defending champion, saw off Polina Iatcenko 6-1, 6-1, and Jessica Pegula (3rd seed) beat Sofia Kenin 6-3, 6-1. Elena Rybakina (2nd seed), Coco Gauff (4th) and Mirra Andreeva (5th) also went through.

Two seeds fell: Brandon Nakashima (16th), beaten by American Alex Michelsen 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, and Rafael Jodar (12th), knocked out by Bu Yunchaokete. In the women's draw, Marta Kostyuk (11th) eliminated former champion Sloane Stephens 6-1, 7-5, and Karolina Muchova conceded a single game to Katie Boulter (6-1, 6-0).