Carlos Alcaraz appeared to vomit into a towel during a break between the fourth and fifth sets of his U.S. Open quarterfinal match against Ben Shelton on Wednesday. The incident occurred in the early morning hours, with the match concluding around 3:33 a.m. local time after a lengthy four-hour-and-28-minute contest.
Alcaraz, the defending champion, reportedly motioned away one ESPN cameraman who was filming him on the bench during the break. However, another camera captured the moment he appeared to be sick into a blue towel.
"After the third set, physically I was really tired, but I found a way to push myself up and physically giving extra," Alcaraz said after the match. "In the fifth set I just started to feel better and better, but you know, I was playing against one of the — he is a beast."
Despite the physical struggle, Alcaraz battled through to the decisive fifth set. He had won the fourth set to level the match and force a final stanza. Ultimately, Shelton, playing with power, secured the win in the fifth set, 7-6, ending Alcaraz's title defense.
Alcaraz, 23, reached the quarterfinals in his return to the court after a four-month layoff due to a wrist injury. He was seeking to become the first male player to repeat as U.S. Open champion since Roger Federer from 2004-2008 and claim his third Grand Slam title at the event.
"It was close. So I’m just not going to be disappointed about don’t getting the win at the end," Alcaraz stated. "I’m just happy. I’m just proud about myself, about how I fought. I leave the court happy. I leave the court with a smile, healthy, and this is what I needed."