Fritz Drops Just Two Games in US Open Second-Round Demolition

Ninth Seed Dominant from the Opening Game

Taylor Fritz spent just 98 minutes on court Thursday, dropping only two games against Mattia Bellucci in a 6-0, 6-1, 6-1 demolition that stands as the most emphatic Grand Slam victory of his career. The ninth seed, playing in front of a home crowd at Flushing Meadows, was imperious from the first game and the scoreline suggests a contest that never came close to testing him.

Fritz won 29 of 34 first-serve points — an 85 per cent success rate — and accumulated 28 winners against 22 unforced errors. There was no prolonged resistance from Bellucci, who managed just one game in the first set and struggled throughout to handle the pace and precision of the American's groundstrokes. According to available historical data, the win ranks among the most crushing second-round performances recorded at the US Open in recent decades.

Leading the American Charge at the Home Slam

Fritz's result adds to what is shaping up as a strong week for American men at the US Open. Ben Shelton, who won in four sets in his own second-round outing, is also safely through to the third round, and both Americans will be eyeing a deep run in a draw that has shed multiple top seeds over the past 48 hours. With Félix Auger-Aliassime — the third seed — eliminated on the same day, and Novak Djokovic already out since the first round, the men's bracket has lost its clearest pre-tournament narrative.

For Fritz, the 2026 US Open holds particular personal weight. The 29-year-old reached the final at Flushing Meadows in 2024, losing in five sets in one of the defining matches of his career. He has continued to build his hard-court game since then and enters the 2026 edition as a seeded player with legitimate title ambitions — ambitions reinforced by Thursday's display. The absence of world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who withdrew before the tournament began with a right knee injury, has further opened the door for players of Fritz's calibre to step into the title conversation.

Fritz Makes the Third Round for the Fourth Consecutive Year

The win means Fritz has now reached the third round at Flushing Meadows in four consecutive years — a consistency that reflects how well the Californian performs at this venue. His footwork, his flat forehand, and his ability to dictate from the back of the court were all in evidence against Bellucci, who arrived in New York via qualifying and simply had no answer for the American's quality on the day.

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Fritz broke Bellucci in his first service game and never looked back. The second set was slightly more contested — the Italian took one game — but the third followed the same pattern as the first, with Fritz closing out 6-1 with the authority of a player who knew he was in complete control. His demeanour on court was calm throughout, with no visible drop in concentration even as the match became less competitive.

Third Round and an Open Path Ahead

Fritz now advances to the third round of the US Open in a section of the draw that looks considerably more open than it did before the week began. Top seed Alexander Zverev — who survived a five-set first-round thriller that did not conclude until 1:55 in the morning — is also still in the tournament, and a potential late-round meeting between the two remains a realistic prospect as the draw narrows.

Based on Thursday's 98-minute display, Fritz enters the third round with energy in reserve and a level of tennis that few remaining players in the bracket will relish facing on the hard courts of New York.