Watch US Open Tennis: Men's & Women's Third Round — Day 5 Free.

What's at Stake

The tension reaches a fever pitch at Flushing Meadows as the third round gets underway on Day 5 of the US Open. Players on both the men's and women's sides are now just a single victory away from securing a coveted spot in the second week of the final Grand Slam of the year. For the top seeds, this stage represents the transition from early-round survival to serious championship contention, while lower-ranked competitors eye career-defining breakthroughs on tennis's biggest stage.

Form Guide

The opening rounds have already delivered a mix of dominant straight-sets victories and grueling five-set marathons, testing the physical limits of the competitors under the late-summer New York heat. Several favorites have successfully carried their strong momentum from the North American hard-court tune-up events in Montreal, Toronto, and Cincinnati. However, the unique pressure of best-of-five matches for the men and the unforgiving nature of the women's draw mean that past form can quickly be rendered irrelevant as the opposition grows significantly tougher.

Key Players to Watch

• The Defending Champions — Both reigning singles champions face their first seeded opponents of the tournament, testing whether their championship-winning formulas can hold up under increased pressure.
• The Hard-Court Specialists — Elite baseliners who thrive on the fast, high-bouncing DecoTurf courts will look to dictate play and wear down their opponents in extended rallies.
• The Dark Horse Contenders — Unseeded players who have survived the opening rounds on a wave of crowd support will attempt to pull off major upsets on the show courts.

Prediction

Expect the higher-seeded favorites to assert their dominance in the majority of the matchups, as their experience in managing the physical and mental demands of best-of-five and high-stakes three-set matches typically shines through in the third round. While we are highly likely to see at least one major upset on the show courts due to the electric New York crowd backing the underdogs, the established top-ten players should largely secure their passages into the round of 16. The day will likely yield a mix of routine straight-sets victories for the tournament favorites and a couple of dramatic, multi-hour battles that push the victors to their absolute limits.