Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz brought the firepower to take his place in the U.S. Open quarter-finals while Aryna Sabalenka and Linda Noskova advanced on Sunday to set up a mouth-watering showdown between two big-hitting Grand Slam winners. There were high expectations from American fans with seven home favourites scheduled to play across both singles draws, but day session defeats for Tommy Paul and Taylor Townsend dampened spirits slightly in the evening session.
Tiafoe, Michelsen give home fans hope
Frances Tiafoe dismantled 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev and fellow American Alex Michelsen beat Tomas Martin Etcheverry to keep the stars and stripes flying high, before Ben Shelton, Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro sparkled in the evening.
Back to his irresistible best in his comeback tournament after nearly five months out with a wrist injury, second seed Alcaraz unleashed some stunning winners to thump Paul 6-4 6-3 6-4 on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Alcaraz hit perhaps the best of his many forehand rockets on the day to raise matchpoint and the 23-year-old eased through to send a warning to the depleted men’s field in New York, where he is bidding to claim a third title.
The year’s final Grand Slam began without injured world number one Jannik Sinner and several other pullouts, while Novak Djokovic’s first-round exit have stripped the tournament of some of its star power.
Sabalenka eases into next round
Top seed Sabalenka earlier broke down the defences of 96th-ranked American Taylor Townsend to win 6-4 6-3 in a competitive contest that belied the gulf in their rankings, subduing the inventive left-hander with a largely pristine display.
Sixth seed Noskova showed her mettle in a 7-5 5-7 6-4 win over 11th seed Marta Kostyuk, collapsing to the court in relief after sealing the contest with an unreturnable serve on her sixth matchpoint.
The Czech’s run is her deepest in New York and continues a remarkable year in which she claimed her maiden Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, becoming the latest major winner from the European country’s proven assembly line of talent.
Five American men made the fourth round this year, the most since 1995, as they bid to end a frustrating 23-year wait for a homegrown champion since Andy Roddick hoisted the glittering trophy at Flushing Meadows.
(With Inputs From Agencies)
Aditya Pimpale is a sports journalist currently working with News X, with previous experience at WION, India TV and India Today. With a keen interest in cricket, football, Formula 1, tennis and other major sporting disciplines, he brings a versatile perspective to sports journalism. Aditya has extensive on-ground reporting experience, having covered multiple IPL seasons, including the 2025 and 2026 finals from the stadium. He also covered the 2026 T20 World Cup from the ground, including the final in Ahmedabad. His work focuses on breaking news, match reports, analysis, interviews, features, sports trends and engaging digital storytelling.
