They rarely do, with a player finishing with 33 winners to the opponent’s 18, as well as 32 unforced errors. Alcaraz broke forehand 29 times and won 23 of those points, played 67% of his first serves and was broken once in 15 service games while taking four of the 14 break points he faced.
Paul made 10 of 14 saves, which bought him time and nothing else. Over the course of three sets, the Spaniard scored 99 out of 173 points, a margin that is quite flattering over three tight-looking sets.
A stretch of real danger came when Alcaraz served at 5-4 in the third, where he slipped to 15-40. Two of the four break points Alcaraz faced all evening came in that game, and after brushing them off, he took the next two as well, a crosscourt forehand bringing up a match point and a service winner ending it at the first attempt.
Alcaraz hasn’t lost at Flushing Meadows since 2024
The win was his 11th straight US Open and 18th straight on hard courts, a streak that stretches back to last year’s title here and this season’s Australian Open. It took him to his 15th Grand Slam quarterfinal and became the first US Open defender in three matches since Roger Federer won five in a row between 2004 and 2008.
It also carried over for a career. Alcaraz’s win rate on hard courts now stands at 86.79%, third in the Open Era behind Novak Djokovic and Federer, who have 86.82% on hard courts, and behind Pete Sampras.
Paul is still waiting for his first US Open quarterfinal
His own account of the game, which was presented in court, was about not giving Paul any chance to settle. “Tommy is such a talented player. I think his shots are quite dangerous and sometimes it’s quite difficult to control the ball when it comes to you. So I just tried to be ready to battle, be ready to run if it’s important and try to always be aggressive trying not to let him stay on the field.
The relief, he said, came from the other end of the exchange. “I just put so much pressure on the return games, which helps me a lot to play calm, play calm, think clearly.” When asked directly if the two-time champion was back in full power after a four-and-a-half-month layoff, he responded with four words, and then made the case himself. “With the exception of one year, from 2021, I’m almost in the quarterfinals here. So that means how special this place is to me, that means how well I play every time I come here.”
Paul’s record now spans the quarter-finals of the Australian Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon, with four losses less than one loss in New York. He came into the tournament saying so plainly, and for the second year in a row, he leaves it in the fourth round. He has now lost seven of 9 against Alcaraz.
Alcaraz will play the winner of the fourth-round match between American No. 8 Ben Shelton and Greek Stephanos Tsitsipas on Tuesday, with No. 7 Daniil Medvedev, a former champion here, and No. 11 American Francis Tiafoe in the same half. On the other side of the draw awaits Roland Garros champion, German top racket Alexander Zverev. Three more nights like this one and the wrist will be the least interesting thing about his summer.
US Open Men’s Singles Fourth Round Schedule
A. Zverev (1) vs L. Darderi (21) – scheduled for Monday
A. Gea (L) vs B. Van de Zandschulp – scheduled for Monday
K. Khachanov vs L. Tien (14) – scheduled for Monday
F. Cerundolo (24) vs A. Blockx (28) – scheduled for Monday
D. Medvedev (7) vs F. Tiafoe (11) – Sunday, Louis Armstrong Stadium
A. Michelsen vs T. Etcheverry (27) – Sunday
B. Shelton (8) v. S. Tsitsipas – Sunday, Arthur Ashe Stadium, 19:00
C. Alcaraz (2) d. T. Paul (20): 6-4, 6-3, 6-4
