Argentina is guaranteed a place in the fourth round of the US Open after Mariano Navone and Tomás Martín Etcheverry both advanced Wednesday, setting up an all-Argentine showdown in the third round. Navone remains one of the stories of the tournament. Three days after beating Novak Djokovic in one of the biggest upsets of the US Open, the 25-year-old showed his breakthrough was no one-night surprise.
He defeated Italy’s Matteo Berrettini 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(4) to reach the third round in New York. Now another Argentine stands between him and the final 16. Etcheverry advanced with a 6-3, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Britain’s Jacob Fearnley. The 27-year-old controlled most of the match from the baseline and took advantage of Fearnley’s shaky serving to finish the job in four sets. The two Argentines will meet Friday, guaranteeing the country at least one player in the round of 16.
For Navone, simply being in this position would have sounded unlikely a few days ago. e entered the tournament unseeded and was handed perhaps the most intimidating first-round assignment in tennis: Djokovic under the lights at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Instead of becoming another early-round victim, Navone produced the defining result of the opening weekend.
He defeated the 24-time Grand Slam champion 7-6(5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 in a four-hour, 36-minute match. It was Djokovic’s first opening-round defeat at the US Open and his first first-round loss at any Grand Slam since 2006.Navone’s background makes the run even more unusual. He grew up playing almost exclusively on clay and said he did not begin competing regularly on hard courts until around 2021 or 2022.
He arrived in New York ranked just outside the world’s top 40 and playing only his third US Open. Etcheverry has taken a quieter route through the draw. He opened with a straight-sets victory over Vit Kopriva before eliminating Fearnley in three hours and 18 minutes. His reward is a match against a countryman who suddenly has considerably more attention following the Djokovic upset.
The matchup also adds to a surprisingly strong South American presence in New York. Argentina’s Francisco Cerúndolo remains in the draw, while Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo and Peru’s Ignacio Buse are also competing in second-round action Thursday. Buse produced his own dramatic result Wednesday, beating American Marcos Giron in five sets, 6-3, 3-6, 3-6, 7-6(6), 6-1. The 2026 tournament is unfolding without Brazilian star João Fonseca, who withdrew because of abdominal problems.
But the biggest Latin American storyline remains Navone. Beating Djokovic ensured his name would be attached to this US Open regardless of what happened next. Beating Berrettini showed he might not be finished. And because Etcheverry is waiting on the other side of the net, Argentina already knows one of its players will still be standing when the tournament reaches the final 16.
