Day 8 of the 2025 US Open: Krejcikova saves 8 match points to set a record, Djokovic and Alcaraz advance strongly

On August 31 local time, the 2025 US Open held its eighth day of main draw matches, featuring fourth-round clashes in the women's singles upper half and men's singles lower half, with many exciting matches underway.

Djokovic

Photo: Visual China

Djokovic, Alcaraz, and Fritz, three of the top eight seeds, all cruised through in straight sets. Although Djokovic requested multiple medical timeouts, he displayed excellent form against Germany’s big hitter Struff, maintaining strong serving performance to sweep the match in three sets. Struff, who qualified and upset dark horses Rune and Tiafoe, saw Djokovic reach the US Open quarterfinals for the 14th time in his career. At 38 years and 94 days old, Djokovic became the oldest player in the Open Era to reach all four Grand Slam quarterfinals in a single season. This marks the ninth time in his career achieving this feat, surpassing Federer’s eight times to hold the all-time record.

Fritz

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Djokovic’s quarterfinal opponent is last year’s finalist, home favorite, and 4th seed Fritz. Djokovic has won all ten previous encounters, but the Serbian star must remain cautious of an upset on Fritz’s home turf. Fritz defeated 21st seed Mahut in three sets in the fourth round, marking his third consecutive year reaching the US Open quarterfinals and the seventh time in his career advancing to a Grand Slam last eight.

Second seed Alcaraz advanced to the US Open quarterfinals without dropping a set, unlocking for the first time in his career the achievement of reaching all four Grand Slam quarterfinals in a single season. He also became the youngest male player in the Open Era to reach 13 Grand Slam quarterfinals.

Lehecka

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Next, the Spanish rising star will face 20th seed Lehecka in the quarterfinals. Lehecka eliminated Manarino in four sets to reach his first US Open quarterfinal, and will break into the Top 20 rankings for the first time after this tournament.

The day’s most captivating match was the three-set battle between Townsend and Krejcikova. Playing at home, Townsend had consecutively defeated seeded players Ostapenko and Andreyeva, reaching the Grand Slam round of 16 for the first time in six years, attracting much attention. However, her Cinderella run was ended by two-time Grand Slam champion Krejcikova.

After a 1-6 loss in the first set, Krejcikova fell behind 1-3 in the second set but saved a match point at 4-5 to hold serve. She then fended off as many as seven match points in the tiebreak to push the match to a deciding set. Boosted by this momentum, the Czech star broke serve twice in the final set to win, returning to the US Open quarterfinals for the first time in four years. According to stats, Krejcikova scored 10 points fewer overall than her opponent. Her feat of saving eight match points is the highest number ever saved in a single match since the US Open’s inception. She will face 4th seed Pegula in the quarterfinals, who overwhelmed compatriot An·Li.

Pegula

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Sabalenka

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World No.1 Sabalenka defeated Buksha in straight sets to reach the US Open quarterfinals for the fifth consecutive year, winning another match in her title defense and setting a record for reaching all Grand Slam quarterfinals this season. At Arthur·Ashe Stadium, another highlight match saw 9th seed Rybakina, who has been performing well in the North American hard court season, eliminated in three sets by Vondrousova, missing the chance to face Sabalenka again in a "double-Saba" showdown. Vondrousova defeated two Top 10 players, Paolini and Rybakina, to reach the US Open quarterfinals for the first time in two years.

Vondrousova

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Both Czech stars Vondrousova and Krejcikova overcame injuries this season to return to the court and shone brightly at this US Open. In post-match interviews, they shared complex emotions about their comeback and renewed success. “Four months ago, I couldn’t compete or train,” Krejcikova said. “My back was in severe pain, and I wasn’t sure if I could return. This victory means a lot; I still can’t believe it. I was brave on those match points but also lucky on some points. It was a very tough match.” After her win, Vondrousova covered her face in tears on the bench and said in an on-court interview: “It was a fantastic match. After everything I’ve been through, it’s amazing to be back here.”

Chinese stars Zhang Shuai and Yuan Yue made further progress in the women’s doubles. The 12th seeds Zhang Shuai/Alexandrova defeated the British duo Bolt/Katari in three sets and will face Williams/Fernandez in the third round. Yuan Yue/Osorio advanced in straight sets and will meet top seeds Siniakova/Townsend in the round of 16.

Results from Day 8 of the 2025 US Open

Updated 2025 US Open men’s and women’s singles main draw brackets