Carlos Alcaraz brushed aside Wu Yibing to reach the US Open fourth round, then delivered the message the rest of the field did not want to hear: he feels sharper with every match of his comeback.
On a warm New York afternoon, the defending champion dismantled the Chinese player 6-3 6-4 6-1, a straight-sets win that looked routine on the scoreboard but carried a heavier meaning. This was Alcaraz looking like Alcaraz again.
Just a few weeks ago, there were doubts. The 23-year-old had been off the singles court for 139 days after injuring his wrist in April, his rhythm broken, his season stalled. His opening match at Flushing Meadows marked his first singles outing since then, a long stretch for a player who thrives on repetition and competitive edge.
He eased through that first round, but the second match told a different story. Against Portugal’s Jaime Faria, Alcaraz had to claw back from a set down, searching for timing, searching for trust in his body. He found a way, but it was a grind.
Against Wu, the grind disappeared.
The Spaniard controlled from the baseline, stepped into returns, and dictated rallies with the authority of a man who knows this court and this tournament belong to him until someone proves otherwise. The match lasted two hours and 20 minutes, but the contest felt decided long before the final handshake.
“To be honest, I'm better than I thought,” Alcaraz said afterwards. That line will echo around the locker room.
He admitted he expected his body to rebel after that first match back. Instead, the recovery has gone smoothly, the off-court work paying off.
“Physically I thought I was going to be bad after the first match, but I am recovering really well. I am doing great things off the court to be in a good state,” he said. “Right now, I think my level is really good. I think I have caught the rhythm of the competition. Every time that I step on the court I give it all. I'm just trying to improve, be better every match and I think I'm getting there.”
On this evidence, he is already close.
A Draw Opening in Front of Him
If the tennis looked ominous, the draw looks even more inviting.
The men’s field in New York has shifted dramatically in the past few days. World number one Jannik Sinner is out injured, removing the most obvious obstacle at the top of the rankings. French Open champion and Wimbledon runner-up Alexander Zverev now heads the draw, but as second seed Alcaraz can only meet him in the final.
Even that hypothetical showdown carries an asterisk. Zverev has been dragged into the early-morning chaos that New York specialises in, taken to five sets and kept on court until 2am in both of his matches so far. The German advances, but he’s spending energy Alcaraz is currently banking.
The shocks have not stopped there. Novak Djokovic, the benchmark of this era, fell in the first round to Argentine Mariano Navone, a result that ripped open one half of the draw. Canadian third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime followed him out in the second round, beaten by Karen Khachanov.
As things stand, only one other top-10 player can cross Alcaraz’s path before the semi-finals: American eighth seed Ben Shelton. The New York crowd would relish that, a home hope against the champion on a big night in Arthur Ashe. The head-to-head, though, is blunt. Alcaraz has won all three of their meetings.
Should he reach the last four, Daniil Medvedev looms as the likely opponent. The Russian, seeded seventh, has enough variety and stubbornness to trouble anyone on a hard court. Alcaraz still holds a 6-3 edge in their rivalry, but Medvedev did beat him at Indian Wells in March, a timely reminder that this is no procession.
On the other side, Zverev’s potential route is far less forgiving. Home favourite Taylor Fritz is lurking, armed with a big serve and the belief that this might be his best chance at a deep run. Italy’s Flavio Cobolli, the French Open runner-up, adds another dangerous name to a half already carrying the strain of late nights and long matches.
The road is never simple at a major. Yet for Alcaraz, this is as close as it gets.
Tommy Paul, Again
Next comes a familiar face. American 20th seed Tommy Paul awaits in the fourth round, a player good enough to trouble most of the tour, but not yet Alcaraz.
The Spaniard has beaten Paul six times in a row. That kind of streak does not happen by accident. It speaks to matchup, mentality, and the ability to raise the level when the rallies tighten and the crowd leans the other way.
Paul will bring the crowd, the legs, and the willingness to trade. Alcaraz will bring something else: the belief of a seven-time major champion who senses the tournament bending in his direction.
The defending champion walked into New York wondering how his wrist would hold up and how quickly the instincts would return. Three rounds in, the answers are starting to come. The shots are landing, the body is responding, and the draw is clearing.
If this is Alcaraz still “getting there,” the question for the rest of the field is simple: what happens when he actually arrives?
