Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the U.S. Open quarterfinals on Sunday, defeating American Tommy Paul 6-4, 6-3, 6-4. The victory marks a strong showing for the defending champion, who entered the tournament after his longest professional layoff due to a wrist injury.
Alcaraz, the No. 20 seed, dominated the match against Paul in less than 2 ½ hours on Arthur Ashe Stadium. He appeared unfazed by his recent time off, demonstrating sharp play as he progresses through the tournament. "I’m really happy to see where my level is right now," Alcaraz said after the match. "Beating Tommy Paul is always great feedback to see where you are."
Paul, who reached the fourth round for the third time in his career, acknowledged Alcaraz's superior performance. "He was playing on a different level than me," Paul stated. "I think there are a lot of things I could have done better, but I could have done a lot of things better and still lost that match."
Alcaraz’s serve was particularly effective, with the Spaniard winning 93 percent of his service games and dropping only one. He also performed strongly from the baseline, winning 76 percent of his returns against Paul. "I think I returned pretty well. I saw really, really well the game today, what I had to do in every moment," Alcaraz added.
This marks another win for Alcaraz in his ongoing rivalry with Paul. Paul has now lost six consecutive matches to Alcaraz, and seven of their nine total meetings. Alcaraz's next opponent will be the winner of the match between Ben Shelton and Stefanos Tsitsipas.
