Most of the top contenders at the US Open remain in the mix halfway through the final major of the season.

Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek are no strangers to the second week of a Grand Slam, but the recently unretired Caroline Wozniacki is surprisingly among those still battling.

Here are five early takeaways from the action in New York.

Djokovic’s legend keeps growing

Djokovic produced another memorable moment in his legendary career, rallying from two sets down in the third round to defeat countryman Laslo Djere. It was Djokovic’s eighth victory after dropping the first two sets and he’s proceeded to win the championship on five of those occasions, including last year’s Wimbledon crown. The Serbian superstar is now 38-11 in five-set matches.

Djere was initially beating Djokovic at his own game, getting the better of the former World No. 1 in the longer rallies and barely missing his spots as he tallied 22 winners through the first two sets. But Djokovic eventually fought his way back into the match, breaking Djere’s serve to open the third set with his trademark defensive play.

Djokovic subsequently asked the packed crowd for noise and seemed to feed off that energy for the remainder of the tilt. That singular moment proved to be all that he needed to turn things around and is another reminder of how small the margin of error is against the 23-time major champ.

“The message is sent to the rest of the field, obviously, that I’m still able to play five sets, deep (into the) night,” Djokovic said postmatch, according to Howard Fendrich of The Associated Press. “Coming from two sets down always sends a strong message to future opponents.”

The Brad Gilbert effect

Brad Gilbert’s book “Winning Ugly: Mental Warfare in Tennis – Lessons from a Master” details the mental approach he took in his successful 13-year playing career. While Gilbert wasn’t as naturally talented as his peers, he reached as high as No. 4 in the world due in large part to his ability to consistently outthink opponents.

Gilbert carried that philosophy into his coaching career with Andre Agassi and is instilling that same mindset in his latest partnership with Coco Gauff. The American phenom has only been working with Gilbert for about a month, but she’s already captured a WTA 500 and 1000 title in that span.

Gauff’s wins in those two title runs weren’t all straightforward, and the US Open has been no different. She’s needed to come from behind twice and make mid-match adjustments to turn the tide. In Gauff’s opening-round win, her decision to come to the net more over the final two sets paid dividends. Two matches later, Gauff leaned on her superior court movement to induce more errors off Elise Mertens’ racket.

“I feel like no matter the scoreline in the match, I can be able to problem solve and troubleshoot my way out … I know I can win matches not playing my best game now,” Gauff told reporters at US Open media day. “I think I wasn’t playing my best in every single match in D.C. and Cincinnati. It’s impossible.”

She added: “I think the most I’ve learned over the course of this summer is that I don’t have to play A-plus tennis to win … I have much more confidence now in other aspects of my game. Maybe if my serve isn’t working, then I have confidence in my groundstrokes or vice versa.”

End of a drought?

Four American players are through to the fourth round at the US Open. That hasn’t been done since Donald Young, John Isner, Mardy Fish, and Andy Roddick all reached the second week in 2011.

Ben Shelton will take on compatriot No. 14 Tommy Paul on Sunday in the opening match at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The two squared off earlier this year in the Australian Open quarterfinals, where Paul prevailed in four sets.

Shelton’s had an up-and-down season since that deep run but found his stride this summer. The big-hitting lefty recorded the fastest serve of the tournament and sits second in total aces. Meanwhile, Paul is having a breakout year on the circuit highlighted by a semifinal appearance Down Under and a second career win over Carlos Alcaraz.

Frances Tiafoe resides in the same section of the draw and would play Shelton or Paul if he gets by World No. 110 Rinky Hijikata. Tiafoe usually saves his best tennis for the American Grand Slam, making the Round of 16 or better in each of his last four appearances, including last year’s semifinal result.

The strongest of the U.S. quartet, arguably, is Taylor Fritz. The top-ranked American man hasn’t dropped a set or his serve through three matches in New York. He’s won a tournament-leading 89% of his first-serve points and is tied with Paul for the fourth-most break points won (20).

Roddick’s 2003 championship run was the last time an American male captured a major singles title. Is this finally the year a U.S.-born man hoists a Grand Slam singles trophy?

Woz is back

When Wozniacki announced her return to tennis this summer, the former World No. 1 made it clear that she wanted to compete for majors once again. Just three tournaments into Wozniacki’s comeback from a three-year hiatus, the Dane looks very much like the player who won an Australian Open crown and reached two US Open finals.

Wozniacki is through to the second week at a Grand Slam for the first time since the 2018 French Open. Her three wins in Flushing Meadows include victories over No. 11 Petra Kvitova and 2021 Australian Open finalist Jennifer Brady.

You can hardly tell Wozniacki’s been away from the game based on her movement and fitness level. She’s consistently retrieving ball after ball and looked fresh after going the distance against Brady. Wozniacki even appears more aggressive than in previous years, tallying over 20 winners in each of her last two US Open matches.

FAA’s struggles continue

Felix Auger-Aliassime appeared to be on the cusp of a breakout year after a strong finish to the 2022 campaign. He won three consecutive titles last October, led Canada to its maiden Davis Cup Finals win, and had victories over Rafael Nadal, Djokovic, and Alcaraz across the last few months of the season.

None of that success carried over into 2023. Auger-Aliassime currently sits below .500 with a 14-15 mark just a year after racking up 60 victories. He hasn’t won a Grand Slam match since reaching the Round of 16 in Australia. It’s been nearly six months since Auger-Aliassime registered back-to-back victories.

The Canadian clearly lacks confidence. That couldn’t be more evident than in his opening-round US Open loss to Mackenzie McDonald. Auger-Aliassime looked tentative during the pressure points, going 1-of-13 on break point opportunities.

Auger-Aliassime has a ton of ranking points to defend in the next few months. If the Montreal native can’t turn things around soon, he may drop out of the ATP’s top 50.