A statement performance on Louis Armstrong Stadium
It was a clash of two worlds: on one side, Daniil Medvedev, seeded seventh and 2021 US Open champion, who had been eliminated in the first round against Benjamin Bonzi in five sets in 2025 and arrived here brimming with confidence. On the other, Sebastian Gorzny — 22 years old, ranked 731st in the world, making his Grand Slam main draw debut, and a local favourite who had the Louis Armstrong Stadium crowd firmly behind him from the opening minute. After just over two hours, the outcome was unambiguous: Medvedev won 6:1, 6:3, 7:5 in a statement performance that left little room for debate.
Medvedev came into the match on the back of a convincing opening-round win over Hugo Gaston (6:4, 6:2, 6:4). Gorzny, meanwhile, had survived a gruelling five-set battle in the first round against Belgian Raphael Collignon, saving several match points in the fifth set. The physical toll of that effort showed in the crucial moments.
Serve as a weapon, return as a control mechanism
The statistics painted a clear picture of the favourite's superiority. Medvedev was dominant on serve: he won 87 percent of points on his first serve, did not face a single break point — saving 100 percent of those he encountered — and fired down 14 aces while committing just three double faults. Gorzny, by contrast, won only 62 percent of points on his first serve and conceded multiple breaks without converting a single break point of his own.
Medvedev was equally commanding on return: 47 percent of return points won against Gorzny's meagre 27 percent. With 38 winners and just 22 unforced errors, the favourite was precise and relentless, while Gorzny's 39 unforced errors far too often handed points away.
Gorzny fights, Medvedev closes it out
The opening two sets were largely one-sided. In the first, Medvedev conceded just one game — a clear demonstration of his dominance from the baseline and on serve. The second set remained firmly in the favourite's control, as Gorzny barely earned a look at a break point while Medvedev converted his own chances with ruthless efficiency.
The third set offered a glimpse of what makes Gorzny such a compelling story despite the scoreline. The Texan, who survived a life-threatening illness in 2019 at the age of 15 — given just a five percent chance of survival by doctors — and went on to win the Wimbledon Boys' Doubles title in 2022, dug in and stayed competitive throughout. At 5:5, a tiebreak briefly seemed possible. But Medvedev remained unfazed, broke through, and closed out the set 7:5.
Medvedev into the third round
The victory sends Medvedev into the third round of the 2026 US Open, demonstrating that after his early exit the previous year he is once again capable of making a deep run at this tournament. Gorzny departs as a debutant who won his first Grand Slam main draw match and advanced a round — an achievement that, given his remarkable personal story and the gruelling path that brought him here, deserves genuine respect.
