Gea held a match point in the third set and served for the match in the fourth, missing a chance to become the first lucky loser to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final.
New York: Dutch tennis star Botic van de Zandschulp staged an extraordinary comeback at the 2026 US Open, outlasting French lucky loser Arthur Gea in a thrilling five-set fourth-round marathon. Van de Zandschulp rallied from two sets down to secure a dramatic 3-6, 6-7 (0), 7-6 (7), 7-6 (3), 6-4 victory at Flushing Meadows. The gruelling contest lasted 5 hours and 13 minutes, officially ranking as the fourth-longest match in US Open history behind Dan Evans' historic 5-hour, 35-minute encounter against Karen Khachanov in 2024.
Navigating Match Points and Heartbreak
The dramatic contest was defined by fine margins and immense mental fortitude. Gea, who entered the main draw as a lucky loser after 2022 finalist Casper Ruud withdrew due to a back injury, stood on the absolute brink of tennis history. The young Frenchman held a match point in the third-set tiebreaker and subsequently served for the match at 5-4 in the fourth set. Had he converted, Gea would have become the first lucky loser in Grand Slam history to reach the men's singles quarter-finals, but Van de Zandschulp saved the match point and displayed remarkable resilience to force a deciding set.
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A Historic Return to the Quarter-Finals
In the final set, Van de Zandschulp broke Gea's serve to seal the 6-4 victory, triumphing in a physical battle that tested both players to their physical limits. The triumph propelled the Dutchman into his second career US Open quarter-final, five years after his initial breakthrough run at Flushing Meadows in 2021. Having already eliminated seventh seed Alex de Minaur and 31st seed Zizou Bergs earlier in the tournament, Van de Zandschulp's 5-hour endurance test firmly establishes his performance as one of the most memorable comebacks in recent Grand Slam history.
Longest US Open matches on record (since 1991)
| Time | Result | Year |
| 5 hours, 35 minutes | Evans d. Khachanov | 2024 R1 |
| 5 hours, 26 minutes | Edberg d. Chang | 1992 SF |
| 5 hours, 15 minutes | Alcaraz d. Sinner | 2022 QF |
| 5 hours, 13 minutes | van de Zandschulp d. Gea | 2026 R4 |
Published: 08 Sept 2026, 08:39 am IST
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