Mirra Andreeva and Anastasia Potapova were the first singles players on court on Day 9 of the 2026 U.S. Open, opening fourth-round action on Louis Armstrong Stadium. Potapova served first, even though Andreeva came in with a clear edge from their recent history.
That is why Andreeva tennis is drawing attention now: Andreeva has won the last three meetings with Potapova and has yet to drop a set at the U.S. Open. On a day when fourth-round play is reaching its finish at Flushing Meadows, the match gives her another chance to keep that run intact while Potapova looks to change the pattern that has defined their rivalry so far.
Andreeva entered the tournament as the French Open champion, which adds to the weight of every set she plays here. A player who has not dropped a set through the first week does not usually need many reminders of form, and her record against Potapova suggests she has repeatedly solved this matchup. Still, serving first gives Potapova the opening say, and that small detail matters when one player has been chasing the other in the head-to-head.
The rest of the Day 9 slate only sharpens the frame around Andreeva. Iga Świątek is taking on Zheng Qinwen, who stunned Świątek in their 2024 Paris Olympics semifinal before going on to win the gold medal. Learner Tien, 20 years old, is also making a run to the round of 16 and faces Karen Khachanov, another sign that the tournament is moving into the stage where every result changes the shape of the draw.
For Andreeva, the next development is simple and unforgiving: extend the winning streak over Potapova, or leave the U.S. Open with the first real crack in a run that has looked secure from the start.
