New York City, UNITED STATES – Frances Tiafoe （USA） has been here before. Two years after his memorable run to the US Open semi-finals, the big-stage American home hope is one match win away from returning to the final four. 

 

And he only wants to go further.

 

Tiafoe leads Team Yonex in week two of the year’s final major that is full of promise and hope, with views of the Open’s trophies becoming clearer and clearer.

 

Tiafoe halted the run of Alexei Popyrin to reach the quarters for a third consecutive year, Popyrin unable to produce the same kind of magic that saw him stun four-time champion Novak Djokovic in the previous round. 

Popyrin’s serve, formidable and consistent, saw Tiafoe manage just three breaks all night. But after trailing by 5–1 in the second set tiebreak, Tiafoe roared back, giving him a two-sets-to-love lead, and bringing the Arthur Ashe Stadium night crowd to life. 

 

After Popyrin claimed the third set, Tiafoe managed to clinch the victory with a score of 6-4, 7-6, 2-6, 6-3, showcasing his unique ability to elevate his game during crucial moments.

As the last Yonex-wielding American man standing, Tiafoe will face Grigor Dimitrov in the quarter-finals, aiming to bring the US Open trophy home for the first time in 21 years.

 

Two Yonex Players march into the Elite Eight

 

On the women’s side, the competition was equally intense.

In the fourth round, it was a Yonex showdown between Jessica Pegula (USA) and the rapidly rising 20-year-old lefty, Diana Shnaider (RUS) .

The New York-born Pegula, ranked No. 6, admitted to being concerned about Shnaider’s left-handed serve before the match. The former college standout had been 22-4 over the last two months, picking up a pair of WTA tournament wins. 

 

After a relatively smooth first set for Pegula, she made two uncharacteristic forehand errors on return, allowing Shnaider to hold her serve easily. 

 

It was a moment that prompted Pegula to rethink her strategy.

“I think today in the second set I went for a couple of forehand inside-out returns on the ad side, and I gave her two free easy points,” Pegula said.

“I was like, ‘Okay, it’s not working. Check back in.’ [I decided to] go hard middle, and if I’m late, it will go inside-out. If I try to take it early, it will go in.”

The ability to calmly analyze and adapt during a match is one of Pegula’s greatest strengths. Just two games later, Pegula played a lengthy eight-deuce game, which ended with a double fault from Shnaider.

The veteran’s unflappable pressure was working: She defeated the promising young Yonex player 6-4, 6-2, advancing to the elite eight.

 

In the quarterfinals, she will face world No. 1 Iga Swiatek, whom she lost to at the same stage of the US Open in 2022.

 

Yonex rising star Emma Navarro (USA) also faced a tough challenge against defending champion Coco Gauff.

 

While Gauff won this title a year ago, it was Navarro who beat her at Wimbledon earlier this summer when the two met on Centre Court. 

Up a set and a break, Navarro had the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd wondering if she could it again— and in straight sets. 

 

But after Gauff won three consecutive games to claim the second set, Navarro was forced to recalibrate. She dug in again to her aggressive playstyle, breaking Gauff’s serve in the third game of the final set.

 

This time there was no comeback for Coco: Navarro claimed the win, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.

When Navarro left the University of Virginia for a professional tennis tour, she signed a two-year contract with her coach, envisioning only a short-term future. However, after reaching the quarterfinals at both Wimbledon and the US Open, her perspective has drastically changed.

“When I first left college, my coach and I kind of made like a two-year contract that I would fully commit myself to playing professional tennis for two years and then reassess after that,” Navarro recalled.

 

“I think I hit the two-year mark this June, and we didn’t even acknowledge it or talk about it. I’ve definitely surpassed my expectations.”

 

“I hope to just keep getting better,” she added with a smile.

How high can she go? For Navarro, there’s no ceiling—the sky’s the limit.

 

Frances Tiafoe (USA) | PERCEPT 97 [LINK] / POLYTOUR PRO 125 [LINK]

Jessica Pegula (USA) | EZONE 98 [LINK]

Diana Shnaider (RUS) | EZONE 98 [LINK] / POLYTOUR FIRE125 [LINK]

Emma Navarro (USA) | VCORE 98 [LINK] / POLYTOUR REV 125 [LINK]