Jan-Lennard Struff knocked out 11th seed Holger Rune in a dramatic five-setter at the US Open, winning 7–6(5), 2–6, 6–3, 4–6, 7–5 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre. The 35-year-old German withstood Rune’s late surge to close out the contest after 3 hours and 25 minutes. Remarkably, the match was almost perfectly balanced: both men won 159 points, and Struff’s 28 aces proved a key separator. He won 82% of first-serve points to Rune’s 80%.
Struff, a former world Number 21 now ranked outside the top 100, had come through qualifying to reach the main draw and has already logged heavy court time in New York. The victory continues a late-career renaissance and represents one of the standout results of the opening week.
Rune levelled the match with a spirited fourth-set fightback, reeling off eight of the final nine points to force a decider, but Struff broke at 5–5 and served out with authority. For the Dane, it extends a difficult run in a season that has featured early exits and injury interruptions.
Struff advances to face Number 17 seed Frances Tiafoe in the third round. Tiafoe, a semi-finalist here in 2024, progressed earlier in the day and will test Struff’s recovery after the German’s marathon win.
The result underscores the volatility of the men’s draw in the early rounds: a heavy server in rhythm can tilt even the finest margins. On this night, Struff’s serve and nerve on Court 17 were just enough to end Rune’s campaign and extend his own New York run into the weekend.
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