Carlos Alcaraz continued his dominant march at the US Open 2026, brushing aside American Tommy Paul 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals in New York. The defending champion was tested early, but once the Spaniard found his rhythm, Paul struggled to keep pace with his relentless baseline game.
The second seed had to work for 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 defence into attack. A crucial break late in the set gave Alcaraz the advantage, and he made sure Paul had little opportunity to fight his way back.
Alcaraz carried that momentum into the second set, taking control of rallies 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 one set of another convincing victory.
The third set followed a similar pattern. Paul continued to compete and refused to surrender easily, but Alcaraz remained composed whenever the pressure increased. The Spaniard eventually closed out the match in straight sets, extending his remarkable record at Flushing Meadows.
The victory was Alcaraz’s 11th consecutive win at the US Open, his 18th straight Grand Slam win on hard courts and his 15th Grand Slam quarterfinal. It was also his fifth US Open quarterfinal.
ALCARAZ KEEPS TITLE DEFENCE ON TRACK
Alcaraz will next face either Ben Shelton or Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarterfinals. Shelton, seeded eighth, and Tsitsipas were scheduled to meet in the other fourth-round clash, with both players looking to earn a blockbuster meeting with the defending champion.
Alcaraz’s run is particularly impressive given that he spent four months away from competition because of 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 powered through his fourth-round contest, Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova produced an equally impressive display of resilience to reach her maiden US Open quarterfinal.
The sixth-seeded Czech defeated 11th-seeded Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk 7-5, 5-7, 6-4 in a gruelling battle that lasted deep into the third set.
Noskova appeared to have the match under control after edging the opening set 7-5. But Kostyuk refused to surrender. The Ukrainian saved two match points when Noskova served for the match at 5-4 in the second set, then broke back to force a decider.
NOSKOVA SETS UP SABALENKA BLOCKBUSTER
The setback could have rattled Noskova, but the 27-year-old regained her composure in the deciding set. She held her nerve in the crucial moments and eventually sealed a 6-4 victory to secure her 11th consecutive Grand Slam win.
Her reward is a quarterfinal against defending champion and world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka, who defeated Taylor Townsend 6-4, 6-3.
Having already won her maiden Grand Slam title at Wimbledon earlier this year, Noskova has shown that she is comfortable handling the pressure of the biggest stages.
For Kostyuk, the defeat will sting after she pushed the Czech to the brink. But Noskova’s ability to recover from the second-set collapse and raise her level in the decider underlined why she is becoming one of the standout players of the tournament.
– Ends
