Carlos Alcaraz recovers from a first-set wobble to storm into the third round of the US Open

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz continued his US Open comeback as he recovered from a slow start to beat Portugal’s Jaime Faria 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 to reach the third round. The Spaniard was made to work for his second win in New York after Faria took the opening set and briefly put him under pressure.

The world number two, playing his first night session of the tournament, struggled to level early against 72nd-ranked Fario, who raced to a 4-3 lead before using his big serve to close out the opening set. Alcaraz admitted he was rushing his punches, but found his rhythm as the fight progressed.

WATCH THE VIDEO:

“It was a tough match. I felt great, but I rushed and didn’t give me time and it cost me a break (in the first set),” Alcaraz said.

ALCARAZ FINDS HIS RHYTHM

Faria threatened at the beginning of the second set, earning two break opportunities, but Alcaraz withstood the pressure. The defending champion then raised his level, producing a stunning drop shot-lob combination before cruising through the rest of the set without dropping a game.

Alcaraz knew patience would be crucial against Faria’s powerful serve.

“Against someone like Jaime, who serves 140-141 mph every time, you have to try to be focused and calm. I told myself good things are going to happen. I just had to hang in there the whole time,” he said.

The momentum shift was crucial. Alcaraz began to find more space from the back of the court in the third set, extending exchanges and forcing Faria to defend for longer periods as the Portuguese gradually lost control of the match.

THE NIGHT SECTION MAKES THE DIFFERENCE

Alcaraz also had to adjust to conditions that were significantly different from his opening round match against Roman Safiullin on the day. The atmosphere at Arthur Ashe Stadium added another dimension to his first evening appearance at the tournament.

“The day session compared to the night session is a completely different game,” Alcaraz said. “The conditions are different here and the crowd is obviously super electric here on the night session.”

The Spaniard continued to pull away in the fourth set as Faria’s serve began to falter. Alcaraz closed out the contest comfortably and booked a place in the third round.

The win marks another positive step in Alcaraz’s comeback from nearly five months out with a wrist injury. Next up against China’s Wu Yibing, the defending champion now has two wins to defend his title and is gaining strength with each fight.

– The end

Issued by:

Debodinna Chakraborty

Published on:

03 Sep 2026 10:21 IST