U.S. Open Day 5 Recap: Townsend Shines, Ostapenko Stumbles, and Five-Set Thrillers Shake the Draw
Day 5 of the U.S. Open delivered everything tennis fans could have asked for high drama, emotional turnarounds, and even a sprinkle of controversy carrying over from earlier in the week. Two players who had clashed in a heated exchange just a day prior returned to the court with very different outcomes, while the men’s draw was shaken up by not one, but two shocking five-set comebacks. To top it off, fans witnessed one of the rarest scorelines in tennis.
Townsend and Ostapenko: Same Stage, Different Stories
Taylor Townsend entered Day 5 with the spotlight firmly on her. The American had gone viral after her fiery post-match exchange with Jelena Ostapenko, who allegedly told Townsend she had “no education” following their singles clash. That storyline added an extra layer of intrigue to their doubles appearances, and the New York crowd responded in kind.
Townsend, now the world’s No. 1 in doubles, walked onto the Grandstand court with Czech partner Kateřina Siniaková to thunderous applause. The pairing is a formidable one: Siniaková is widely regarded as one of the greatest doubles specialists of her generation, and Townsend is quickly cementing her place among the elite. Together, they lived up to their billing as the No. 1 seeds, dispatching Nadiia Kichenok and Aldila Sutjiadi 7-5, 6-2.
Townsend looked energized, feeding off the crowd’s energy with every volley and overhead. Each emphatic point won was met with roars of approval, a clear sign that the American’s resilience and charisma have earned her a wave of new fans. For Townsend, the match was more than just a win it was a statement performance at a time when the tennis world was watching closely.
Ostapenko, meanwhile, endured a very different afternoon. Teaming up with former doubles partner Barbora Krejčíková, the Latvian started strong against Timea Babos and Luisa Stefani. Yet, in what felt like déjà vu from her singles loss to Townsend, momentum slipped away. After taking the first set, Ostapenko and Krejčíková faltered badly, eventually succumbing in three sets.
To her credit, Ostapenko kept her emotions in check this time around. The handshake at the net was quick but respectful, and she even offered an apology after a fortunate net cord. Still, the collapse mirrored her struggles from the day before, reinforcing the narrative of two players Townsend and Ostapenko heading in very different directions.
Five-Set Chaos in the Men’s Draw
While drama unfolded on the doubles courts, the men’s singles competition delivered two of the tournament’s most surprising results so far. Ninth seed Karen Khachanov and 19th seed Francisco Cerúndolo both looked firmly in control of their second-round matches. Khachanov led Poland’s Kamil Majchrzak by two sets, while Cerúndolo held the same commanding advantage against Swiss qualifier Leandro Riedi.
What happened next was nothing short of astonishing.
Majchrzak, ranked No. 76 in the world, refused to back down. He clawed his way back into the match, eventually pushing it to a fifth set and sealing the upset with a 10-5 win in the final-set tiebreak. On the adjacent court, Riedi ranked No. 435 and without a single Grand Slam victory to his name before this week mounted an equally improbable comeback. After dropping the first two sets to Cerúndolo, the Swiss player surged to life and completed the turnaround with a commanding 6-2 win in the fifth.
The combined ranking of Majchrzak and Riedi? A staggering 511. Yet, against all odds, they will meet in the third round of the U.S. Open with a place in the last 16 on the line. For Majchrzak, it represents a chance to replicate his fourth-round run at a major. For Riedi, it’s uncharted territory his first taste of the sport’s biggest stage.
Whoever wins will face either Alex de Minaur or Daniel Altmaier, but for now, both men can relish the fact that they’ve already shaken up the draw in ways few could have predicted.
A Day of Contrasts
Day 5 at the U.S. Open reminded us why this tournament is one of the most unpredictable and thrilling events in sports. Taylor Townsend’s triumph, fueled by crowd support and determination, contrasted sharply with Jelena Ostapenko’s continued struggles. On the men’s side, the so-called underdogs Majchrzak and Riedi proved once again that rankings and reputations mean little under the bright lights of Flushing Meadows.
If the first week is any indication, the 2025 U.S. Open is far from short on storylines. And with shocks, comebacks, and rivalries already stealing headlines, fans can expect even more fireworks as the tournament heads into its decisive rounds.