On a captivating night, Carlos Alcaraz managed to overcome a below-par performance to defeat Alexander Zverev in straight sets and move one step closer to a historic US Open repeat. Despite hitting more unforced errors than winners and struggling with his first serve, Alcaraz capitalized on the important moments, converting all break points and saving every break point he faced. The victory sets up a thrilling semi-final match against Daniil Medvedev in a battle between the past two US Open champions.
“I feel extremely comfortable playing on this court, playing in New York,” said Alcaraz, who aims to become the first back-to-back men’s champion at Flushing Meadows since Roger Federer’s five-year reign from 2004 to 2008. “Physically, I feel great. Mentally, I’m strong enough. I believe I’m ready to give it my all against Medvedev in the semi-final.”
Zverev, the 12th seed from Germany, who came close to winning the championship in New York three years ago, endured a grueling fourth-round match that ended in the early morning hours of Tuesday. Despite dedicating an entire day for recovery, Zverev couldn’t match Alcaraz’s intensity. Although Zverev had opportunities to break Alcaraz’s serve in the first set, he missed crucial shots, allowing Alcaraz to break and eventually take the set. In the second set, Zverev suffered an injury that hindered his movement and affected his serve.
“The second set, I felt something in my hamstring glute, left side,” Zverev explained. “I couldn’t generate enough power on my serve. My serve speed decreased significantly compared to previous days. It was challenging to compete with Carlos without a strong serving day.”
Zverev received medical attention during the set break and fought hard in the third set. However, the exhaustion from his previous match took its toll, and Alcaraz sealed the victory with an impressive forehand and ended the match.
Alcaraz has had an incredible year, becoming the youngest-ever No. 1 seed in the US Open men’s draw. He won his first major title last year in New York and climbed to the No. 1 ranking, a position he will surrender to Novak Djokovic after this week’s tournament. With an impressive record of 57 wins out of 63 matches this season, including another major championship at Wimbledon, Alcaraz has only suffered one defeat in grand slams since the start of last year’s US Open.
“I have grown so much since last year,” Alcaraz reflected. “Last year, I played my first grand slam semi-final. Now, I’m playing my fourth. I feel like a completely different player. Winning my first grand slam, reaching the semi-final and final last year has made me more mature and able to handle pressure. I am a different person and player.”
In the women’s draw, Madison Keys advanced to the US Open semi-finals with a commanding performance against Marketa Vondrousova. Saving all nine break points she faced, Keys remained on track for a potential all-American final against Coco Gauff. Keys will face second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka next, who is set to claim the world No. 1 ranking. Keys expressed her love for playing in front of a home crowd and her confidence in overcoming any situation.
With thrilling matches and unprecedented achievements, the US Open continues to captivate fans around the world.
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