Alcaraz defeats Wu Yibing 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 to reach fourth round of US Open, extends Grand Slam winning streak to 17 matches

USADefending champion Carlos Alcaraz defeated Wu Yibing 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 in the third round of the US Open, extending his Grand Slam winning streak to 17 matches.

After having to play four sets with Jaime Faria in the second round, Alcaraz showed a much more dominant side when he returned to Arthur Ashe court on September 4. The Spanish player only took three sets to eliminate Wu, thereby entering the fourth round of the US Open for the third time in a row.

Alcaraz entered the game by putting pressure on his opponent's first service game and soon broke. Wu, currently ranked 113th in the world, did not let go of the set easily. The Chinese player reclaimed the break and at one point made it difficult for Alcaraz by hitting the ball early at high speed from the back of the court.

But as the set entered key points, the differences in defense and offensive transitions began to appear. Alcaraz regained control to win the first set 6-3.

"The tempo today was really high," Alcaraz said. "With the way he plays, both his forehand and backhand are very good. The ball moves very quickly after hitting the court, so sometimes it's difficult to control. I have to try to stay grounded, play offensively and stay alert in difficult times."

Wu continued to resist in the second set. The Chinese tennis player's speed repeatedly forced Alcaraz to defend, even causing the second seed to scream in frustration during a few tense scores. However, the ability to cover the court and accuracy in important shots helped Alcaraz win the decisive break and win 6-4.

The first two sets also showed that Alcaraz was getting closer to his best playing state. He doesn't just rely on powerful forehands, but often changes the tempo, from hitting hard at the back of the court to dropping small or accelerating to the net. His mobility, a big question mark when he returned after nearly five months off due to a right wrist injury, no longer showed any obvious problems.

Wu's resistance decreased significantly in the third set. Alcaraz shouted loudly as he took advantage of an early break point to lead 3-1, then won five of the last six games to close the third set 6-1 and end the match.

The victory showed Alcaraz's round-by-round progress in his first tournament since a wrist injury kept him out of action for nearly five months. "I'm actually in better shape than I thought," Alcaraz said after the match. "I thought my body would be really bad after the first match, but I recovered very well and am doing the right things off the field to maintain my fitness."

The result also extended Alcaraz's Grand Slam winning streak to 17 matches. He won the 2025 US Open and then was crowned at the Australian Open in February, where Alcaraz became the youngest male tennis player in history to complete the Career Grand Slam.

Alcaraz is aiming for his third US Open championship and eighth Grand Slam of his career. The fact that rival Jannik Sinner did not attend the tournament also made the Spanish tennis player one of the top candidates at Flushing Meadows.

The challenge in the eighth round will be significantly greater when Alcaraz meets 20th seed Tommy Paul. The American tennis player just spent five sets to eliminate 15th seed Alexander Bublik. Alcaraz is 5-2 against Paul in head-to-head meetings since 2022.

Paul also has a big advantage from the home crowd, something Alcaraz immediately mentioned after the match. However, the Spanish player also joked that he hoped his opponent had not yet recovered from the five-set match with Bublik.

"He will be playing at home and that will be a bit of an advantage," Alcaraz said. "Hopefully he will be a little tired after today's match."