Alcaraz cruises into US Open round of 16, sets up clash with Paul

Carlos Alcaraz swept past China's Wu Yibing 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 on Friday at the US Open, extending his Grand Slam winning streak to 17 matches and continuing a comeback that has exceeded even his own expectations.

The defending champion, returning to competition after a four-month absence caused by a right wrist injury sustained during the Barcelona Open in April, needed just two hours and 20 minutes to dispatch the world No. 113 and reach the fourth round at Flushing Meadows for the fifth time in six appearances.espn+1

"To be honest, I'm better than I thought," Alcaraz said. "Physically, I thought I was going to be dead after the first match. But I'm recovering really well."tennisnow+1

A Competitive Match Behind the Scoreline

The final score belied a tighter contest than it appeared. Each of the first two sets was level at 3-3 before Alcaraz pulled away, and Wu twice recovered early breaks to keep the pressure on the seven-time Grand Slam champion. Wu earned two break points at the start of the third set, but Alcaraz saved both and then won the final five games to close out the match.fieldlevelmedia+2

Wu, who became the first Chinese man to win an ATP singles title in 2023, finished with 12 winners against 39 unforced errors. Alcaraz struck 21 winners but was not immune to lapses, committing 33 unforced errors of his own, 19 off the forehand.tennismajors+2

Paul Awaits in the Fourth Round

Alcaraz will next face American 20th seed Tommy Paul, who rallied from two sets to one down to defeat 15th-seeded Alexander Bublik 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-3 on Friday. Alcaraz owns a 6-2 career record against Paul and has won their last five meetings, the most recent a fourth-round victory at the 2026 Australian Open.atptour+3

The Spaniard is bidding to become the first man to defend the US Open title since Roger Federer won five consecutive championships from 2004 to 2008. His path has opened up considerably, with top-seeded Jannik Sinner absent through injury and Novak Djokovic eliminated in the first round.espn+2

Alcaraz also signaled he plans to take longer breaks from the tour in future seasons, citing mental freshness over physical necessity. "I just want to miss the tennis sometimes," he told reporters. "It's impossible to last the whole season playing every tournament."clickorlando+1