The Athletic has live coverage of the 2026 U.S. Open. NEW YORK — The contrast between relief and despair is rarely more stark than on a tennis court, where two players embodying those emotions stand across the net at the end of a match and shake hands.That was the scene Saturday, in the third round of the U.S. Open. The 2024 Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, who had trailed 5-0 in the third set, saved a match point and won seven games in a row to beat 2025 Australian Open champion Madison Keys, 1-6, 7-6(3), 7-5.For the third time this tournament, Zheng collapsed on her back when it was over, a pose that encapsulates all she’s been through since having elbow surgery in July 2025.For the 23-year-old from China, the win over Keys was an impressive feat of composure, that will go a long way toward rebuilding both her confidence and her ranking. Currently the world No. 121, she peaked at No. 4 in 2025.Why are some tennis players better at night?Tifo SportsFor Keys, the American No. 22 seed in New York, the loss was a breaking point in what has been a painful few weeks.“I obviously got off to a really good lead, and then I just got really — I mean, got really scared, like I couldn’t swing. I don’t know. Tennis just feels really hard right now, so I feel like that kind of took over,” Keys said in a news conference, with tears in her eyes.“I felt like I couldn’t play tennis anymore, and it just was … It just felt like it was a much bigger deal than just playing a tennis match all of a sudden.”Keys said she has been struggling for some time, pushing off changes she knows she needs to make because “that’s how the tennis world works,” with its non-stop schedule.Being at the U.S. Open exacerbates those negative feelings, because of how much Keys cares about performing well at her home tournament.“I’m sure everyone could kind of see that I was struggling a little bit, but inside it felt probably even bigger than that,” Keys said.“It’s just to the point where I actually need to do something about it.”Madison Keys had a 5-0 lead in the third set but only earned one match point. (Al Bello / Getty Images)Zheng and Keys understand each other’s feelings, perhaps more than most competitors.Keys was the one staging a dramatic comeback just Thursday, when she rebounded from 5-2 down in the third set and saved five match points against the Hungarian Anna Bondár. Zheng was the one in tears at the French Open, after losing her first round match to eventual finalist Maja Chwalińska, 6-4, 6-0.Zheng has traveled a long way since then, and it has been a humbling journey. One of the more famous WTA players, beloved by fans and with a game that was once feared on tour, Zheng had to set her ego aside before coming through the qualifying tournament in New York.It was there that she rediscovered her fighting spirit and finally felt like herself again, despite an illness that sapped her energy.“I always believe, especially when I was down 4-5,” Zheng said. “It was a very tough game and in that moment, I showed no emotion because I know it’s never the end until the end.“Brave is the word today. … I’m just super happy to have won this match. It’s like, wow. What can I say? Wow.”Zheng won seven games in a row from 5-0 in the third set. Despite such a commanding lead, Keys had only earned one match point, as she served at 5-1. After catching her ball toss before serving, an attempted backhand redirect down the line — the type of shot Keys laces for a winner when she is feeling her tennis — crashed into the net.From there, Zheng used her lofted forehand and backhand to pin Keys back, taking her toes off the baseline and asking her to either build points over the course of several shots, or take arcing balls on the rise, a decision heavy with risk.By the 11th game of the third set, Keys was hitting herself in the head with her racket, taking her cap off and sighing deep breaths that were either meant to steady her or out of exasperation.Another groundstroke that landed just long gave Zheng the chance to serve for her sixth consecutive win at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, and she did it as if she had been leading all along.She will face the 2022 champion, Iga Świątek, in the fourth round.“I was just telling myself keep holding every single point, never give up,” Zheng said. “Somehow, little by little, it just happened. Finally, one time, luck is on my side.”