Arthur Rinderknech and Benjamin Bonzi advance as French contingent progresses at 2026 US Open

Rinderknech advances to third round

Arthur Rinderknech became the first French player to reach the third round of the 2026 US Open on Wednesday after defeating Spain's Jaume Munar 7-6 (7/4), 6-2, 7-5. The 31-year-old right-hander, currently ranked 29th in the world, is the highest-ranked French man remaining in the singles draw following the early elimination of 11th-ranked Arthur Fils. Rinderknech recovered from two separate service breaks in the opening set before taking the tie-break, aided by four aces in the decider alone. Munar, ranked 55th and coming off a five-set first-round win over France's Térence Atmane, yielded the second set quickly before mounting resistance in the third. The Spaniard missed two break opportunities at 1-1 and saved a break point at 3-2, but conceded his serve at 6-5 to conclude the match after slightly more than three hours. The victory sets up a third-round meeting with former world number one Daniil Medvedev, the 2021 tournament champion who is currently ranked eighth.

Bonzi and Monfils win opening matches

Benjamin Bonzi reached the second round on Wednesday with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Slovakia's Alex Molcan, ranked 86th. Bonzi, ranked 97th, entered the main draw as a replacement for injured American player Emilio Nava and played his opener on the fourth day of competition following rain disruptions on Tuesday. The victory follows Bonzi's semi-final run at Winston-Salem the prior week, where he beat four higher-ranked players before facing 30th-ranked Ignacio Buse. In the second round, Bonzi will face either Buse or American Marcos Giron, ranked 78th. On Louis Armstrong Stadium, 40-year-old Gaël Monfils defeated 22-year-old Paraguayan Adolfo Daniel Vallejo 2-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-0. Monfils, ranked 311th after turning 40 on 1 September, dropped the opening set before taking 18 of the final 21 games. Early in the fourth set, he broke Vallejo and struck a jumping forehand winner on his own service game, bowing to each side of the arena.

Monfils reflects on court performance

Following his first-round win, Monfils addressed journalists in his post-match press conference, discussing the motivation behind attempting the acrobatic forehand rather than playing safely.

Two sets to one, a break, happiness... So why not? To be honest, I will not do many of them anymore. Why not? Yes, it is harder. But in a way, it brings me more happiness, more joy.

Key results across the singles draws

Daniil Medvedev earned his place in the third round against Rinderknech by beating American world number 731 Sebastian Gorzny 6-1, 6-3, 7-5 on Wednesday. In the women's singles draw, third-ranked American Jessica Pegula progressed to the third round with a 6-3, 6-1 win over compatriot Sofia Kenin. Meanwhile, France's top-ranked woman, 31st-ranked Diane Parry, exited in the second round on Tuesday after a 6-2, 7-5 loss to Romania's 17th-ranked Sorana Cirstea. The defeat halted Parry's six-match winning run, which included her first career title at the WTA 500 tournament in Monterrey, Mexico, four days prior.