Bu achieves maiden Grand Slam victory as Wu secures a place in the last 32 for the second time in his career

So lucky, yet so deserving — China's unheralded Buyunchaokete has introduced himself, big time, to New York by pulling off arguably his biggest career win in the most unlikely way.

Two days after losing in the final qualifying round, and with a departing flight booked on the night, Buyunchaokete received a call from US Open staff late on Tuesday, asking him to stay and fill in for Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis, who had to withdraw due to a sudden injury, in the main draw first round as a "lucky-loser" substitute.

Twenty-four hours later, the 124th-ranked player, hailing from the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region made the most out of his unexpected extra day at the Flushing Meadows by delivering a huge upset win over Spain's No 12 seed Rafael Jodar, signing in his first Grand Slam main-draw victory on Wednesday after going winless in six previous tries since his major debut two years ago, also in New York.

Bu's straight-sets rout of the rising Spanish star, sealed in a lopsided score of 6-2, 6-1, 6-1 within two hours, also made him the first lucky loser to have beaten a top-15 seed at the US Open since 1968.

"I've got nothing to lose as a lucky loser and I am so happy that I made the best out of it," the 24-year-old of China's Mongolian ethnic group said with a bright grin on his tanned face.

"I just learned yesterday afternoon that I could play when I was packing to leave. I didn't even practice enough because they didn't allow me to book the (practice) court after I lost. And here I am.

"If I knew I would win my first main-draw match at a Slam this way (beating a top-12 seed), I'd voluntarily signed up for the five, or six, previous losses in the buildup.

"It's a significant boost for my career," said Bu, who reached a career-high ranking at No 64 in May 2025, following a strong 2024 season, before repeated injuries took a toll on his ascent.

Bu will next meet 107th-ranked Michael Zheng of the United States in the second round.

Facing the two-time US collegiate champion Zheng, Bu will for sure need the surging form that helped him stun Jodar, one of ATP Tour's fastest-rising young prospects this season, in an overwhelming fashion.

Relying on his strong and consistent serves, Bu dictated the play by converting seven of total 16 break points that Jodar conceded and hitting 21 winners against his opponent's 14 to not just pull off the upset, but dominate the Spanish teen, who won only four games in the match.

It wasn't a total surprise for Bu himself that his game, when he's healthy, could be destructive even facing the most elite on the professional circuit.

"I played with tremendous confidence today and constantly put my opponent under immense pressure," said Bu, who's won two titles on the lower-level ATP Challenger series in June as a proof of his revival.

"I maintained consistent pressure throughout the match, leaving him almost no room to find his rhythm and score freely.

"This victory means a great deal to me. When I first broke into the top 100, my form was inconsistent, and I barely understood how I managed to reach that milestone.

"Now after experiencing ups and downs over the past year and a half, I've learned a lot, and I've been training and preparing for tournaments as seriously and professionally as a top-50 player in the build-up, and that is exactly why I can deliver such a performance today."

The landmark victory has written a fresh chapter for Chinese men's tennis, with Bu joining Zhang Zhizhen, Shang Juncheng and Wu Yibing to become only the fourth Chinese mainland man to register a major main-draw win.

His young predecessor Wu, a former US Open junior winner, made sure on Wednesday that he remains the spearhead for Chinese men.

The 26-year-old Wu proved his 2017 boys title run wasn't a flash in the pan after he sent Australian veteran James Duckworth packing in straight sets in their second-round encounter to reach the round of 32 at the US Open for a second time.

Despite a tight, nerve-shredding opening set, where both Wu and Duckworth played with caution, the Chinese world No 113 stepped up his game midway through the second set, attacking with blistering groundstrokes on a consistent display of precision and speed to seal the 7-5, 6-3, 6-1 win in just one hour and 57 minutes.

Next up for Wu will be an exciting and familiar challenge in the form of mighty second seed Carlos Alcaraz, who came back from oneset down to beat Jaime Faria 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 and book the meeting with Wu in Friday's third round.

The last time Wu played against the defending US Open champion was at the 2024 Rolex Shanghai Masters, where he pushed Alcaraz to his limit in a close third-round defeat to earn respect from the Spanish seven-time major winner at the ATP1000 tournament in the East China metropolis.

Wu, who reached his career-high ranking of No 54 in May 2023, hinted that his best form has yet to show up this week.

"I made thorough preparations for this match. I controlled the rhythm well, played solid, and stayed highly focused," said Wu, who made history after winning Chinese men's first ATP Tour title in Dallas in February 2023.

"It hasn't been easy for me, my recent form wasn't great, and I came to this US Open without a technical coach, fitness trainer, or physiotherapist."