Alcaraz Battles Back as Sabalenka Cruises into US Open Third Round

Posted : 03 September 2026

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz overcame a difficult start to reach the third round of the 2026 US Open, fighting back to defeat Portugal's Jaime Faria 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2. The second seed showed growing confidence as the match progressed after struggling to find his rhythm early on.

Alcaraz entered the tournament with questions surrounding his fitness after missing several months because of a wrist injury. He had already made a positive return by defeating Roman Safiullin in straight sets in the opening round, but Faria presented a tougher challenge and managed to take advantage of the Spaniard's early mistakes.

Faria secured the first break of the contest and held his nerve to claim the opening set. Alcaraz responded emphatically, however, winning the second set without dropping a game before taking control of the match in the final two sets.

The four-time Grand Slam champion acknowledged that his impatience contributed to his slow beginning. Once he settled down and allowed himself more time during rallies, his level improved considerably and he eventually closed out the match in convincing fashion.

Alcaraz's victory extended his run at the tournament and kept his title defense alive. He will now face China's Yibing Wu in the third round.

On the women's side, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka produced an even more commanding performance. The two-time defending champion dismantled Russian qualifier Polina Iatcenko 6-1, 6-1 in only 53 minutes to continue her pursuit of a third consecutive US Open crown.

Sabalenka dominated from the baseline, producing powerful groundstrokes and maintaining pressure throughout the match. She dropped only two games and will next meet Uzbekistan's Kamilla Rakhimova for a place in the fourth round.

Third seed Jessica Pegula also advanced with an impressive 6-3, 6-1 victory over fellow American and former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin. Pegula needed less than an hour to secure the win and remains one of the players capable of challenging Sabalenka for the No. 1 ranking.

Former US Open champion Daniil Medvedev progressed as well, defeating American wildcard Sebastian Gorzny 6-1, 6-3, 7-5. Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe also moved through, while Alex Michelsen caused an upset by eliminating 16th seed Brandon Nakashima.

Rain once again interrupted matches across the outdoor courts in New York, but tournament officials continued working through the backlog as several leading contenders secured their places in the third round.

Alcaraz Battles Back as Sabalenka Cruises into US Open Third Round

ADD A COMMENT :

Hot Topics