And then there was one.
At this year's U.S. Open, Daniil Medvedev was the last man standing from one of the most exclusive clubs in tennis.
The 28-year-old Russian, ranked fifth in the world, became the only remaining former U.S. Open champion in men's singles after defeating Italy's Flavio Coboli (ranked 31st) in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, 6-3, in the third round at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday night.
Medvedev will next face Portugal's Nuno Borges, who is ranked 34th in the world.
“It was a fun match to play,” Medvedev said. “It was so late and there was a full house. It was a lot of fun.”
Medvedev defeated the legendary Novak Djokovic (last year's champion) to win the 2021 US Open. Djokovic lost in the third round this year to 28th-ranked Australian Alexei Popyrin.
World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, who won the 2022 U.S. Open, lost in the second round to unseeded Dutchman Botich van de Zandschult.
“For me an upset is not that important,” Medvedev said. “It means the conditions are a little bit harder, so the gap between the favorites may be smaller.” [for error] I have to be more careful when I play against other players. If I play good tennis, I win them all. If I don't play well, I lose against everyone.”
Medvedev, one of the tour's most colorful personalities, won the U.S. Open in 2021 and has reached two other finals at the tournament.
Djokovic got revenge on Medvedev in last year's final, after losing to Rafael Nadal in the 2019 final. Medvedev also reached the semifinals in 2020.
He played nearly his best tennis at the U.S. Open.
With Saturday's win, he improved to 32-6 all-time at the U.S. Open and has reached the fourth round in each of the past six years.
Medvedev's serving was overwhelming, winning 81% of his first serves and hitting nine aces compared to Kovoli's two.
Saturday marked the first time the two teams faced each other.
However, Medvedev has a 2-0 record against Borges, with both bouts coming this year.
“He's a very tough opponent,” Medvedev said. “The first time I played him was at the Australian Open and I was amazed by his power. He's a very aggressive player. It's not an easy match.”
