Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva secured a major upset at the 2026 US Open by defeating 12th seed Belinda Bencic in three sets.. The match, which lasted two hours and fifty-one minutes, ended with a score of 4-6, 7-5, 6-3.
Putintseva’s 81% net success rate dismantles Bencic
Putintseva utilized a highly aggressive tactical approach to overcome the Swiss Olympic champion. According to the report, the Kazakhstani player won 13 of her 16 net attempts,resulting in a dominant 81% success rate. This efficiency stood in stark contrast to Bencic, who managed to win only ten of her twenty-four attempts at the net.
The match began with Bencic asserting control, taking an early 3-0 lead in the first set and eventually claiming it. However, Putintseva displayed remarkable resilience, fighting back to seize the second set and eventually dominating the third. The contest concluded when Bencic committed a double fault on the final match point, allowing Putintseva to smash to love in the closing game. Beyond her net play, Putintseva’s serve became a defining factor during the match's critical moments. She recorded six aces and won 56% of her second-serve points, exceeding her typical season averages. During the deciding third set, she even delivered a sequence of three consecutive aces to maintain a 5-3 lead, a feat she compared to the serving power of Andy Roddick.
A third Swiss wipeout in seven years
The loss by Belinda Bencic marks a significant low point for Swiss tennis at the 2026 US Open. As the final Swiss player to be eliminated in the first round, Bencic’s defeat completes a total wipeout for her nation at the tournament. This event mirrors a troubling trend, marking the third time in seven years that Switzerland has seen all its representatives exit in the opening round.
The depth of Swiss tennis appears to be reaching a crisis point , as veteran Stan Wawrinka is now the only Swiss player ranked within the top 180 globally. The report notes that Bencic’s performance suffered significantly under pressure, characterized by a collapse in the final stages. Bencic expressed deep frustration, noting that the harder she tried to win points, the worse her performance became. The tension was further evidenced when Bencic unintentionally hit a ball over the barrier, nearly striking a spectator and drawing a warning from officials.
Can Putintseva's clay-court dominance hold against Zheng Qinwen?
Putintseva moves into the second round to face China's Zheng Qinwen, but her path forward remains uncertain. While Putintseva holds a 2-0 head-to-head advantage over Zheng,the report highlights that both of those victories occurred on clay courts, including a 2024 match in Madrid where Zheng retired while trailing. This raises the question of whether Putintseva can translate her tactical success to the hard courts of Flushing Meadows against an opponent with significant momentum.
Zheng Qinwen enters the match in peak form, having already secured four victories this week through the qualifying rounds. Furthermore, Putintseva’s ability to maintain her performance remains an open question due to her expressed frustrations with the tournament's environment. She noted that she often feels she is fighting against the court conditions and the specific balls used in the tournament. Whether she can overcome these environmental hurdles to face a surging Zheng is the primary uncertainty heading into the next round.
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