Carlos Alcaraz continued his great run and reached his fifth US Open quarterfinal
Carlos Alcaraz continued his US Open title defense with a convincing victory over Tommy Paul and advanced to the final eight in New York. On September 6 at Arthur Ashe Stadium, the Spaniard won 6:4, 6:3, 6:4, completing the match in two hours and 21 minutes. According to the official US Open report, the 23-year-old Alcaraz extended his streak to 18 consecutive Grand Slam victories with the win, 11 of them coming at Flushing Meadows. At the same time, he reached the fifth US Open quarterfinal of his career, confirming that after a months-long absence due to a right wrist injury he has returned to the level required for the closing stages of the biggest tournaments. In the first four rounds of this year's tournament, he lost only one set.
Paul started well, Alcaraz took control at the end of the first set
Tommy Paul, the tournament's 20th seed and one of the main American hopes in the men's draw, entered the match showing no fear of the defending champion. According to the organizers' report, the American found his serving rhythm in the opening games and several times drew a strong reaction from the crowd with precise shots off both the forehand and backhand. Alcaraz, however, gradually increased the pressure on his opponent's serve and secured the crucial break in the eighth game of the first set. Two games later, he closed out the set 6:4 and changed the dynamics of the match. Up to that point, Paul had shown that he could keep pace in the rallies, but it was becoming increasingly difficult for him to get through his service games without additional pressure.
Official US Open statistics show that the return against Paul's serve was one of Alcaraz's biggest advantages. The Spaniard created 14 break-point opportunities during the match and converted four of them. That number of opportunities is also significant because Paul possesses a sufficiently powerful first shot to control points for shorter stretches, especially on a fast hard court. Alcaraz nevertheless did not allow him many comfortable service games, frequently extending rallies and forcing him to play one extra shot. In doing so, he gradually moved the match into a zone in which his defense, movement and ability to make a sudden transition from defense to attack became increasingly prominent.
The second set brought even greater pressure from the defending champion
After winning the first set, Alcaraz continued in the same rhythm. The US Open states that at the start of the second set he first held serve comfortably and then immediately broke Paul, extending his run to four consecutive games when the end of the first set is included. The American managed to recover one of the lost breaks and briefly slow Alcaraz's surge, but he was unable to reverse the balance of power. The Spaniard continued to apply pressure on the important points, maintained his advantage and closed out the second set 6:3 after 49 minutes of play. In a match in which he did not experience prolonged crises on serve, that kind of control of the score proved decisive.
For Alcaraz, it was particularly important that against a player of Paul's profile he managed to combine aggression and patience. Paul is known for his quick movement, flat shots and ability to take the ball early, so passive play against him generally does not produce results. Alcaraz therefore frequently changed the rhythm, attacked from deep behind the baseline and then used shorter balls and changes of direction to open up the court. The official US Open report described his performance as his most authoritative of the tournament up to that point, while the closing stages of the match further emphasized the level of confidence with which he was playing.
The third set ended with the same score as the first, 6:4, and Alcaraz did not allow the match to turn into a longer physical battle. According to the organizers' report, he reached match point after an attractive forehand, while Paul ended the final point with a return error. That brought the contest to a close in three sets, without the need for additional complications that could have consumed energy ahead of the quarterfinal. At a Grand Slam tournament, where men's matches are played as best-of-five sets, such victories have additional value because they preserve physical reserves for the final rounds. For a player who has only recently returned after a long absence, that is an especially important factor.
Eighteen consecutive Grand Slam victories
Alcaraz's result against Paul carries additional weight because of a streak spanning two Grand Slam seasons. According to official US Open data, the round-of-16 victory was his 18th consecutive win at Grand Slam tournaments. The run includes winning the 2025 US Open and the 2026 Australian Open, while he did not play Roland Garros or Wimbledon this year because of his right wrist injury. He arrived in New York without having played a competitive match since April, so his return carried considerably more uncertainty than his current string of results might suggest. Four rounds later, those questions have at least partly been pushed aside by the manner in which he has advanced to the closing stages.
US Open organizers point out that Alcaraz won his seventh Grand Slam title in Melbourne this year and became the youngest man in history to complete the career Grand Slam, meaning he had won all four major tournaments. In New York, he is now trying to add another major trophy and defend the title he won in 2025. Official tournament data also state that he has won 26 ATP titles in his career, while ahead of this US Open he held the status of a recent world No. 1. The current ATP rankings during the tournament list him as the world No. 3, although he was seeded second in the draw. Such a record explains why, even after a months-long absence, he is considered one of the leading contenders for the title.
Return from injury without a warm-up tournament on the North American hard courts
One of the most interesting aspects of his appearance in New York is the fact that he returned to the US Open without the usual summer preparation at North American hard-court tournaments. According to a special analysis on the official US Open website, no men's champion since the US Open switched to hard courts in 1978 has won the title without first competing in at least one North American hard-court tournament between Wimbledon and New York. Because of his recovery from injury, Alcaraz had no such preparation. If he wins the title again, he would end a streak that has lasted almost half a century.
That circumstance makes his path through the first four rounds even more significant. In the first round he defeated Roman Safiullin in three sets, then against Jaime Faria he lost his only set of the tournament but came from behind to win the match in four. In the third round he defeated Wu Yibing 6:3, 6:4, 6:1, and then once again completed the job against Paul without dropping a set. Ahead of the round of 16, the US Open emphasized that Alcaraz was feeling better from match to match, and after the victory over Paul that trend received confirmation in the results as well. Instead of searching for form through long and uncertain matches after four months away, the Spaniard has so far spent most of his time on court in control.
Fifth appearance among the final eight in New York
With the victory over Paul, Alcaraz reached the 15th Grand Slam quarterfinal of his career, according to US Open data. In New York, this is his fifth appearance among the final eight, further confirming how well the conditions at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center suit him. His only previous US Open appearance in which he failed to reach at least the quarterfinals came in 2024, when Botic van de Zandschulp upset him in the second round. In all his other New York campaigns he produced a deep tournament run, including two titles. After this year's round of 16, his US Open win-loss record stands at 28-3, according to the organizers' official data.
That statistic is especially impressive because Alcaraz made his first major breakthrough on the Grand Slam stage precisely in New York. His ability to combine a powerful first strike on hard courts, defense from almost impossible positions and exceptionally effective play toward the net makes him a difficult opponent to predict. In the match against Paul, he did not have to show his full five-set tennis repertoire, but it was clear that he had a wide range of tactical solutions available. When Paul tried to speed up the rally, Alcaraz could stay in the point; when space opened up, the Spaniard moved into attack. That breadth of game is one of the main reasons why he once again finds himself in the closing stages in New York.
Paul's run ended in the round of 16
For Tommy Paul, the defeat means he will have to wait longer for his first US Open quarterfinal. The American tennis player, who was the tournament's 20th seed, was ranked No. 21 in the world according to his official US Open profile ahead of the match. His best Grand Slam result remains the 2023 Australian Open semifinal, while in New York he had also reached the second week of competition in previous years. This season, ahead of the US Open, he showed good form on the North American hard courts, including a victory over top seed Alexander Zverev on his way to the Cincinnati quarterfinals. For that reason, the match with Alcaraz represented a serious test for the defending champion rather than merely a formal obstacle in the draw.
Paul took a considerably more demanding route to the round of 16 than Alcaraz. He won his first two matches in four sets, while in the third round he had to play all five against Alexander Bublik. He won that match 6:4, 3:6, 6:7, 6:1, 6:3. Before the match with Alcaraz, the US Open also emphasized that Paul already had experience against the Spaniard in major matches at Grand Slams, Masters 1000 tournaments and the Olympic Games. Despite that, in New York he was unable to find enough room for a comeback after losing the closing stages of the first set. The tournament's official report states that this was Alcaraz's seventh consecutive victory over Paul.
Next opponent still unknown
Alcaraz will play the winner of the match between Ben Shelton and Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarterfinal. At the time this article was completed, that round-of-16 match had not yet finished. The official US Open states that Alcaraz has a positive, or perfect, head-to-head record against both possible opponents: he has defeated Shelton in all three of their previous meetings and Tsitsipas in all six. Such statistics may give him additional confidence, but a Grand Slam quarterfinal brings different pressure, especially in New York, where the crowd can strongly influence the atmosphere.
Shelton, as an American player with an exceptionally powerful serve, would present a completely different challenge from Paul, while Tsitsipas brings more experience in the latter stages of major tournaments and an attacking game built around a one-handed backhand. Alcaraz has already shown against both players that he can impose his game, but he is now entering the part of the tournament where the differences between the leading players become even smaller. An important fact for his preparation is that he completed the round of 16 in three sets and without prolonged physical exhaustion. After a four-month absence, recovery between matches remains as important as the level of tennis itself.
Title defense enters its most demanding phase
For Alcaraz, the quarterfinal will be the first step in the final phase of the tournament, where there is no longer room for weaker stretches. Although his results in the first four rounds look convincing, his comeback performance is still developing from match to match. After the victory over Paul, the US Open emphasized that the Spaniard is gradually approaching his best form during the tournament, while his own comments after the previous rounds also pointed toward an increasingly better feeling on court. Against Paul, he also showed that he can respond well even when his opponent starts the match strongly, without panic and without a sudden drop in performance. In the closing stages of a Grand Slam, that is often just as important as the number of outright winners or service games won.
A broader story is now also developing in New York around the possibility of defending the title after an unusually long absence. Alcaraz began the season as the Australian Open champion, after which an injury kept him away from tournaments during the spring and summer, including Roland Garros and Wimbledon. Returning directly at the US Open therefore represented both a physical and competitive risk. After four rounds, that risk has so far left no visible mark on the result: he has lost only one set, while his Grand Slam winning streak has grown to 18. The question is no longer whether Alcaraz can compete with the best again after the break, but whether he can maintain this level for three more victories and defend his title at the final Grand Slam tournament of the season.
Sources:
- US Open - official report from the Alcaraz - Paul match, score, match duration, break-point statistics and context of Alcaraz's Grand Slam streak (link)
- US Open - official round-of-16 preview, information on the seeds, Paul's path through the tournament and Alcaraz's injury and previous Grand Slam results (link)
- US Open - analysis of Alcaraz's return after a four-month absence and the historical context of competing without a North American hard-court warm-up tournament (link)
- ATP Tour - report on Alcaraz's victory over Paul at the 2026 Australian Open and the context of their Grand Slam rivalry (link)