Frances Tiafoe beat Japanese qualifier Rei Sakamoto 6-3, 7-6(2), 7-5 on Wednesday at Louis Armstrong Stadium to reach the third round of the 2026 US Open, according to match reports.
- Frances Tiafoe beat Rei Sakamoto 6-3, 7-6(2), 7-5 to reach the US Open third round.
- Sakamoto served 18 aces but had many unforced errors; Tiafoe closed out the match after being pushed to five sets in round one.
- Tiafoe will face either Kamil Majchrzak or Valentin Vacherot next.
What happened
The world No. 12 opened the match by breaking Sakamoto in the first game and held the edge to take the opening set 6-3. The second set was tighter: Tiafoe committed consecutive double faults late while trying to serve out the set, which allowed Sakamoto to push it into a tiebreak. Tiafoe then won four of the first five points in the tiebreak to move two sets to the good.
Sakamoto, who reached the main draw by beating former US Open finalist Kei Nishikori in qualifying, hit 18 aces in the match but also recorded about 40 unforced errors, reports said. Tiafoe closed out the match 7-5 in the third set after being taken to five sets in his opening-round match.
Next opponent and American context
With the victory Tiafoe will face either Kamil Majchrzak or Valentin Vacherot in the third round, the reports state. Tiafoe is one of the leading American contenders at the tournament and is part of an effort to end a long drought for a U.S. man to win the US Open; one report places that span at 23 years.
Match details worth noting
- Scoreline: 6-3, 7-6(2), 7-5 (reported by Sportstar and India Today).
- Sakamoto served 18 aces but also had many unforced errors (reports cite around 40).
- Tiafoe is a two-time US Open semifinalist (as described in reporting) and had been pushed to five sets in his first-round match before finishing this second-round match in straight sets.
Why this matters
As one of the higher-ranked American men remaining, Tiafoe’s progression keeps alive hopes within the U.S. fanbase for a home champion at Flushing Meadows; contemporary coverage described a 23-year wait for a U.S. men’s champion in New York. The win also represents a steadier outing for Tiafoe compared with being taken the distance in round one.
Related results at the tournament
Reports from the same day noted other headline results: defending women’s champion Aryna Sabalenka advanced with a dominant straight-sets win, extending her US Open winning streak at the event; and other men’s matches were underway into the third round. Those items were referenced alongside the Tiafoe coverage in the same reports.
Unresolved points and verification
The primary reporting for this story comes from sportstar.thehindu.com and IndiaToday’s tournament coverage. Details such as the exact count of Sakamoto’s unforced errors and crowd reactions are taken from those reports and are attributed accordingly. Official match statistics from the USTA or the US Open were not provided in the sources supplied for this article and would be the definitive record for figures like aces, unforced errors and point-by-point scoring.
Timeline
- Early rounds: Tiafoe won a five-set match in the first round (not detailed in the supplied sources beyond being described as such).
- Second round (reported Sep. 3, 2026): Tiafoe defeated Rei Sakamoto 6-3, 7-6(2), 7-5 at Louis Armstrong Stadium.
- Next: Tiafoe is scheduled to play either Kamil Majchrzak or Valentin Vacherot in the third round.
Practical implications for fans and bettors
For U.S. tennis fans, Tiafoe’s win keeps him among the leading American hopes in the draw. For those tracking the men’s singles title race, the match suggests Tiafoe navigated a tricky opponent with a powerful serve but inconsistent baseline play; final verification of match statistics is recommended before drawing detailed tactical conclusions.
Sources
This report is based on contemporary match coverage from Sportstar (The Hindu) and India Today, which provided the play-by-play, score and match context cited in this article.
