Carlos Alcaraz crushes Tommy Paul, Linda Nosk invades the first quarter of the US Open
Carlos Alcaraz continued his dominant run at the 2026 US Open by beating American Tommy Paul 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals in New York. The defending champion was tested early on, but once the Spaniard found his rhythm, Paul struggled to keep up with his relentless ground game.
The second seed had to work in the opening set as Paul looked to use the home crowd and his aggressive tennis to unsettle Alcaraz. But the Spaniard remained patient, absorbing the American’s pace before turning defense into attack. A crucial break at the end of the set gave Alcaraz the advantage and ensured that Paul had few opportunities to fight back.
Alcaraz carried that momentum into the second set, taking control of the rally with his powerful forehand and exceptional movement. Paul was repeatedly forced into defensive positions as the Spaniard dictated play from the baseline. Alcaraz broke at key moments and protected his own serve to move within a set for another convincing victory.
The third set had a similar course. Paul continued to compete, refusing to give up easily, but Alcaraz remained composed whenever the pressure mounted. The Spaniard eventually closed out the match in straight sets to extend his remarkable record at Flushing Meadows.
The win was Alcaraz’s 11th straight US Open, his 18th straight Grand Slam on hard courts and his 15th Grand Slam quarterfinal. It was also his fifth US Open quarterfinal.
ALCARAZ RETAINS TRACK TITLE DEFENSE
Alcaraz will face either Ben Shelton or Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarterfinals. Shelton, seeded eighth, and Tsitsipas were set to play in a second meeting in the fourth round, with both players looking to land a sensational meeting with the defending champion.
Alcaraz’s run is particularly impressive considering he spent four months sidelined with a wrist injury. However, the Spaniard has looked increasingly sharp as the tournament has progressed, suggesting that his best tennis may still be ahead of him.
While Alcaraz came through in the fourth round, Wimbledon champion Linda Nosk produced an equally impressive display of resilience to reach her first US Open quarter-final.
The sixth-seeded Czech defeated 11th-seeded Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk 7-5, 5-7, 6-4 in a grueling battle that stretched deep into the third set.
Nosková appeared to be in control of the match after leveling the opening set 7-5. But Kostyuk refused to give up. The Ukrainian saved two match points when Nosková served for the match at 5-4 in the second set, then broke to force a decision.
NOSKOVA SETS BLOCKBUSTER SABALENKA
The failure could shake Nosková, but the twenty-seven-year-old player equalized in the decisive set. She held her nerve in the crucial moments and eventually sealed a 6-4 victory to secure her 11th straight Grand Slam victory.
Her reward is a quarterfinal against the defending champion and world number one Aryna Sabalenka, who beat Taylor Townsend 6-4, 6-3.
Nosková, who won her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon earlier this year, has shown she can handle the pressure of the biggest stages.
For Kostjukova, the defeat will sting after pushing the Czech Republic to the brink. But Noskova’s ability to recover from a second-set collapse and raise her level in the decider underlined why she is emerging as one of the tournament’s standout players.
– The end
Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
07 Sep 2026 02:15 IST