Tien Beats Mensik to Reach US Open R16

Learner Tien dug out of a two-sets-to-one hole and beat Jakub Mensik 6-3, 1-6, 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-4 in three hours and 24 minutes early Sunday at Louis Armstrong Stadium, per AFP and Al Jazeera.

The 20-year-old is the youngest American man to reach a US Open Round of 16 since Andy Roddick in 2002. On a day Taylor Fritz, Madison Keys, and Amanda Anisimova all left Flushing, the host country needed that.

Five-set machine

Tien is now a perfect 5-0 in five-set matches and banked his sixth Top-20 win of 2026, per match wrap coverage. He took the first, got blown out in the second, dropped a third-set tiebreak, then found another gear when Armstrong stayed loud past midnight. A fan heckling Mensik got ejected in the fourth with the crowd chanting for the boot, per Nine.com.au. Tien still had to finish the job.

"I wanna thank everyone here for staying this late," Tien said afterward, per AFP coverage. "I think if this stadium was empty I'm really not sure if I'd win this match tonight." That is the Flushing tax and the Flushing gift in one breath.

Coached by Michael Chang, Tien keeps looking like a guy who does not panic when the scoreboard turns sideways. Five-set records that stay perfect tend to matter in New York.

Khachanov next after Fritz day

Karen Khachanov waits in the fourth round. Five American men are into the Round of 16 with Tien: Tommy Paul, Frances Tiafoe, Ben Shelton, and Alex Michelsen, per The Big Lead. Fritz's five-set collapse to Francisco Cerundolo earlier Saturday stung. Cerundolo's stunner still sits on the board. Tien's night is the answer the crowd wanted.

Youngest since Roddick is a fun line. Surviving Mensik after midnight is the real one. Armstrong stayed. Tien delivered.