Carlos Alcaraz, the defending U.S. Open champion, recovered from a first-set loss to defeat Portugal's Jaime Faria 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 on Wednesday night, advancing to the third round at Flushing Meadows. This marks Alcaraz's fifth appearance in the third round of the tournament.
Alcaraz, who is 23 and facing an opponent exactly three months younger, improved his record to 14-0 against players born after him on the ATP tour. He will face China's Wu Yibing in the next round.
"I realized that playing four sets was really good for me. Test everything physically, to test my body," Alcaraz said after the match when asked about his preference for a quick win versus extended play. "I'm just happy that I was able to play good tennis during the fourth set."
The victory extended Alcaraz's Grand Slam winning streak to 16 consecutive matches and his U.S. Open streak to nine. However, the match began with Alcaraz showing signs of rust, particularly on his first serve, where he converted just over 50 percent in the opening set. His groundstrokes were inconsistent, and his signature drop shot was not as effective.
Alcaraz attributed his initial struggles to attempting short points, stating, "I just wanted to play short points, which was a mistake for me. I just needed to play [with] passion, to play long rallies, three, four, five shots, and then go for it." He realized his error and adjusted his strategy, building points from the start and playing with more aggression.
Following the first-set setback, Alcaraz dominated the subsequent sets, losing only three games in total and securing a bagel in the second set. "After that, I realized what I had to do. I needed to be more [passionate], to build the points a little bit more since the beginning," he explained. "Yeah, I got an early break, which helped me a lot to play with more calm, and then I’m thinking more [clearly] about everything I would say that was the turning point."
Alcaraz expressed confidence in his current physical condition, stating, "I know once I step on the court, I just got to go for it every time... I have to, you know, hit like I was hitting before the injury, and let’s see what happens... I’m just feeling great. There is no reason to be afraid and not hitting normal."