Carlos Alcaraz beats Tommy Paul to reach US Open

Carlos Alcaraz moved into the US Open quarter-finals with a straight-sets victory over Tommy Paul on Monday. The 23-year-old Spaniard won 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 in two hours and 21 minutes, extending his perfect record against the American to six consecutive matches.

Alcaraz displayed no lingering issues from the wrist injury that kept him off tour for over four months before this tournament. He clinically dismantled the 20th-seeded Paul, who had expressed confidence before the match about his chances against top players. Alcaraz has now won the last 14 sets the pair have contested.

Path to a historic defence

A title next Sunday would secure a unique piece of tennis history for Alcaraz. Having won back-to-back Wimbledon titles on grass in 2023 and 2024 and consecutive French Open crowns on clay in 2024 and 2023, a successful US Open defence would make him the only man in the open era to defend major titles on all three surfaces. He is already the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam.

The third set provided the only significant tension. Paul earned two set points, but Alcaraz erased them with what the source described as "two contemptuous forehand winners" to close out the match.

Alcaraz assesses his performance

Speaking after the match, Alcaraz credited his aggressive style. "I played my game, tried to play my style," he said. "Tommy is such a talented player, his shots are dangerous so I tried to be ready for the battle, to be ready to run and be aggressive." He added that he was "really happy with the performance" and believes he is back to full power following his injury layoff.

Quarter-final clash with Shelton

Next for Alcaraz is a quarter-final against American eighth seed Ben Shelton, who defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas. This match is billed as the first genuine blockbuster of the men's draw. Shelton's powerful serve, regularly exceeding 140 mph, is expected to provide the sternest test yet for Alcaraz's wrist.

Alcaraz initially misread the draw, thinking he would face the winner of the Frances Tiafoe versus Daniil Medvedev match. Once corrected, he acknowledged the challenge ahead. "Shelton's a really powerful player," Alcaraz said. "I think he'll use the crowd, get the people behind him, especially when he's playing here at home."

American hopes in the bottom half

In other results, Frances Tiafoe defeated 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev. He will face compatriot Alex Michelsen, who beat Argentina's Tomas Martin Etcheverry to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final. This guarantees at least one American will reach the semi-finals from the bottom half of the draw.