NEW YORK (AFP) – Rafael Nadal fell to his earliest US Open loss in six years on Monday when he was knocked out by Frances Tiafoe while Iga Swiatek became the first Polish woman to reach the quarter-finals.
Four-time US Open champion Nadal, bidding for a 23rd Grand Slam title, lost 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the last-16 to 26th-ranked Tiafoe.
The American’s free-swinging performance conjured up 18 aces and 49 winners past a sluggish Nadal.
For Australian and French Open champion Nadal, it was a first Grand Slam loss of 2022 after an abdominal strain forced him to forfeit his Wimbledon semifinal.
His defeat came just a day after world No. 1 and defending champion Daniil Medvedev was knocked out also in the fourth round by Nick Kyrgios.
“I wasn’t able to push him back. Tennis is a sport of positions a lot of the time,” said 36-year-old Nadal.
“You need to be very quick and very young. I am not in that moment anymore.”
Nadal added: “I was not able to cause great damage. He was better than me.”
Tiafoe, 24, will face Andrey Rublev, who he defeated over five sets in the third round in 2021, for a place in the semi-finals.
Seventh seed Rublev shrugged off a rain delay to breeze past Cameron Norrie and reach the quarter-finals for the third time with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 win.
French Open champion Swiatek recovered from a set and a break down to see off 108th-ranked German opponent Jule Niemeier, 2-6, 6-4, 6-0.
In a mistake-riddled clash on Louis Armstrong Court, there were a total of 15 double faults, 12 breaks of serve and 76 unforced errors.
Swiatek will face US eighth seed Jessica Pegula for a place in the semifinals.
It will be the pair’s third meeting this year with Swiatek coming out on top on both occasions in Miami and at the French Open.
Pegula became the second American woman into the last-eight after brushing aside two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova 6-3, 6-2.
World number six Aryna Sabalenka reached the quarter-finals for a second successive year with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 over Australian Open runner-up Danielle Collins.
Sabalenka has now beaten the American in New York three times in the last five US Opens.
The Belarusian will next face 2016 runner-up Karolina Pliskova who downed three-time finalist Victoria Azarenka 7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2.
