Swiatek leads 5-0 then collapses against Zheng Qinwen at US Open 2026

New York – Iga Swiatek of Poland suffered a stunning fourth-round loss to China’s Qinwen Zheng at the US Open 2026, letting a 5-0 first-set lead slip before falling 5-7, 3-6 at Flushing Meadows. The result ends Swiatek’s season without a Grand Slam title for the first time since 2026, snapping a four-year streak. Swiatek entered the tournament as the No. 8 seed and a former world No. 1, but her 2026 majors campaign was already below expectations: quarterfinal at the Australian Open, fourth round at the French Open, third round at Wimbledon, and now a fourth-round exit in New York. Qinwen Zheng, the reigning Olympic champion from China and a former world No. 4, produced a powerful comeback, winning seven consecutive games after trailing 0-5 in the first set. Swiatek admitted after the match that too many unforced errors hurt her performance. Zheng, meanwhile, used strong returns and steady tactics to secure one of the biggest wins of her career, advancing to the quarterfinals and continuing to build on the momentum she created at the 2026 Paris Olympics.