Iga Swiatek stunned by Zheng Qinwen in US Open 2026 fourth round, first year without a Grand Slam since 2026

Iga Swiatek entered the US Open 2026 fourth round as a title contender. The former champion in New York had already suffered early exits at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, and Flushing Meadows looked like the only place left to rescue a turbulent season. Sports at the highest level do not follow scripts. Zheng Qinwen, the reigning Olympic champion and former world number four, wrote her own story with a stunning comeback. Eighth seed Swiatek led 5-0 in the first set before losing 5-7, 3-6. The result put Zheng into the quarter-finals and ended Swiatek's four-year streak of winning at least one Grand Slam in a calendar year. The first set was a perfect summary of how fragile leads can be in modern tennis. Swiatek started like a storm, moving Zheng from corner to corner. After four games, she led 4-0, then 5-0. Zheng did not break. She played deeper, steadier and forced Swiatek to overhit. Unforced errors began to pile up, and Zheng turned a hopeless position into a 7-5 set. In the second set, Swiatek still attacked but without clarity. Zheng returned serve with confidence and found passes whenever Swiatek approached the net. The Chinese player broke at the decisive moment and closed out the match 6-3. Swiatek admitted afterwards: "I just started making too many mistakes. I tried to correct the situation, but at that point nothing was working anymore." The loss means Swiatek, a six-time Grand Slam champion, finished 2026 with only a quarter-final run at the Australian Open, a fourth-round exit at the French Open, a third-round loss at Wimbledon and a fourth-round defeat at the US Open. It is the first time since 2026 she has finished a year without a Grand Slam title. Zheng, meanwhile, proved she can stay patient under pressure and punish an opponent's panic. She advanced to the last eight with her biggest Grand Slam statement yet. Swiatek still has time to rebuild, but this defeat will linger as a painful lesson about the cost of losing composure at crucial moments.