Carlos Alcaraz, the defending champion at the U.S. Open, was unexpectedly informed of his quarterfinal opponent during a live television interview on Sunday. Alcaraz had just defeated Tommy Paul in his fourth-round match and was speaking with former U.S. Open champion Andy Roddick on ESPN when the topic of his next match arose.
Roddick began to ask Alcaraz about the challenges posed by his potential next opponents, mentioning either Ben Shelton or Stefanos Tsitsipas. Alcaraz appeared confused and asked Roddick to repeat the question. Upon learning the possibilities, Alcaraz leaned in to look at a paper in front of Roddick and exclaimed, "Really? Oh my God, I thought I was playing Medvedev-Tiafoe." He was under the impression he would face Daniil Medvedev or Frances Tiafoe, unaware that Tiafoe had since been scheduled to play Alex Michelsen after beating Medvedev.
Alcaraz's surprise highlights a common practice among some tennis players to avoid looking ahead in the tournament draw, though not knowing one's immediate next opponent deep into a Grand Slam is unusual. Ben Shelton ultimately advanced to face Alcaraz in the quarterfinals by defeating Tsitsipas in straight sets.