Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the US Open quarter-finals with a dominant 6-4 6-3 6-4 victory over Tommy Paul in New York. Playing his fourth competitive singles match following a four-and-a-half-month wrist injury layoff, the defending champion extended his winning streak at major championships to 18 matches.
The road back to peak form can be fraught with doubt, particularly when a four-month absence stems from a wrist injury in a sport demanding blistering racket-head speed. Yet the Spaniard dispensed with any lingering questions regarding his physical readiness during a masterful fourth-round display on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Alcaraz dismantled American 20th seed Tommy Paul in straight sets, needing just two hours and 21 minutes to secure his place in the last eight. The performance signaled that the 23-year-old is rounding into championship form just as the tournament enters its second week.
Mastering Paul and Extending Major Dominance
Paul had talked up his chances before the match, stating, I like to think of myself as somebody who always thinks I can beat those (top) players
as reported by Sky Sports. Despite that ambition, the American struggled to find an answer to Alcaraz’s relentless baseline pressure and aggressive return game. The straight-set scoreline extended Alcaraz’s head-to-head advantage over Paul to six consecutive wins, during which he has captured the last 14 sets they have contested.
The tension spiked momentarily at the tail end of the third set when Alcaraz faced two set points. He promptly erased them with a pair of commanding forehand winners, demonstrating the composure that has defined his career at Flushing Meadows. Having won last year’s US Open and this year’s Australian Open, the victory pushed his active win streak at Grand Slam tournaments to 18 matches.
“I played my game. I tried to put my style on today’s match. Tommy is such a talented player and his shots are dangerous and hard to control, so I just tried to be ready for the battle, ready to run if it mattered.”
Carlos Alcaraz, via Sky Sports
Chasing Open Era History and Full Power
Alcaraz is already the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam. If he successfully defends his Flushing Meadows crown, he will become the only man in the Open Era to defend major titles across all three court surfaces, having already conquered Wimbledon grass in 2023 and 2024 alongside the French Open clay in 2024 and last year.
When the BBC and other outlets asked the Spaniard on court if he felt back to full power after his long layoff, he answered with a smile.
“I just try to enjoy my time on the court and it doesn’t matter that I was out for four and a half months – every time I come here, I play my best.”
Carlos Alcaraz, via BBC
Praise for the defending champion came swiftly from tennis greats observing from the grounds. Former player Tim Henman remarked on Sky Sports that Alcaraz’s forehand might be the best
he has ever seen. Fellow analyst Martina Navratilova added that the Spaniard’s rapid mastery of varied tactical options places him in another stratosphere.
The Quarter-Final Horizon in New York
With the opening week behind him, the tests grow heavier. Alcaraz moves forward to face the winner of the fourth-round clash between American eighth seed Ben Shelton and Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas. Historical data favors the Spaniard against both potential opponents; BBC Sport notes that Alcaraz has never previously lost to either player at Tour level, beating Shelton three times and Tsitsipas on six occasions.
Yet analysts warn that a meeting with Shelton would present a unique physical hurdle. American former player Jeff Tarango pointed out on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra that Shelton possesses the explosive firepower to knock the racquet out of your hand,
noting that Alcaraz’s wrist will face a rigorous examination against heavy serves directed into his forehand corner.
As the tournament heads deeper into its second week, Alcaraz remains the man to beat, carrying both historical ambition and renewed physical confidence onto the hard courts of New York.
