The US Open is getting more unpredictable by the minute.
Just when it looked like the men’s draw was starting to take shape, another seeded player has been sent home. This time, it was No. 13 seed Lorenzo Musetti who suffered a stunning defeat at the hands of Australia’s Dane Sweeny.
Musetti won the opening set 6-3, but everything changed after that. Sweeny stormed back to win the next three sets 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 and completed one of the biggest upsets of the tournament.
For Musetti, it was a brutal way to end his US Open campaign.
For Sweeny, it could be the biggest moment of his career.
Musetti Had Control — Then Everything Changed
The match initially appeared to be going exactly as expected.
Musetti, the No. 13 seed, took the first set and looked comfortable against a player ranked well outside the top 100.
But Sweeny refused to panic.
The Australian completely changed the momentum in the second set, racing to a 6-1 victory. From there, his confidence continued to grow while Musetti struggled to find answers.
Sweeny took the third set 6-2 before closing out the match with another 6-2 set.
A match that started with Musetti in control ended with the Italian watching his tournament disappear in spectacular fashion.
Who Is Dane Sweeny?
That may be the biggest question coming out of the match.
Sweeny entered the tournament ranked No. 123 in the world and was not expected to make much noise against one of the tournament’s seeded players.
Instead, he has just reached the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time.
His story makes the upset even more interesting.
Sweeny has previously struggled with his ranking and even stepped away from professional tennis. Now he has returned to the biggest stage and knocked out one of the tournament’s highest-ranked players.
That’s quite a comeback.
Another Seed Falls
Musetti’s elimination also adds to what has already been a chaotic US Open.
No. 3 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime was also eliminated on Thursday, losing to Karen Khachanov.
Two major names leaving the tournament on the same day has suddenly made the men’s draw much more interesting.
Every time another seeded player falls, the opportunity becomes bigger for everyone still standing.
And that includes players who may have entered New York without being considered serious title contenders.
Is the Men’s Draw Wide Open?
That’s the question everyone is going to be asking now.
There are still plenty of elite players left in the tournament, including Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev and other dangerous contenders.
But the path to the title has already changed.
Upsets are nothing new at a Grand Slam. What makes this year’s US Open interesting is how quickly some of the bigger names have disappeared.
For the players still alive, that’s good news.
For the fans, it means the tournament could become even more unpredictable.
Sweeny Has Nothing to Lose
Sweeny now moves into the third round with something every dangerous underdog wants — confidence.
He has already taken down a seeded player, and nobody can overlook him anymore.
His next opponent will be No. 21 seed Luciano Darderi.
After what Sweeny just did to Musetti, however, counting him out would be a mistake.
The Australian has gone from being a relatively unknown name in the draw to one of the tournament’s biggest stories.
And he isn’t finished yet.
The US Open Is Getting Interesting
Musetti’s defeat is more than just another upset.
It’s another reminder that rankings don’t win Grand Slam matches.
Sweeny was the player expected to be under pressure. Instead, he handled the moment, recovered after losing the opening set and completely took over the match.
Now the question is whether he can keep the run going.
With another seeded player gone and the men’s draw continuing to open up, the US Open suddenly feels like anybody’s tournament.
New York has already delivered plenty of surprises.
And we may only be getting started.
