After nearly five months away from competition, Carlos Alcaraz returned to Arthur Ashe Stadium and answered the question that had quietly shadowed his season: whether a right wrist injury could diminish one of tennis's most complete and commanding presences. His straight-sets dismissal of Tommy Paul at the 2026 US Open was less a comeback than a continuation — an 18-match Grand Slam winning streak extended, a 13-0 record against Americans at majors preserved, and a pursuit of consecutive titles at Flushing Meadows very much alive. Some absences, it seems, only clarify what was always there.
Alcaraz Powers Past Paul to Reach US Open Quarterfinals
Every time I come here, I play well.
Mark
So Alcaraz hasn't played in five months and he comes back and beats a seeded player in straight sets. How much of that result is just him being Alcaraz, and how much is Paul underperforming?
Mimi
Both things are true. Paul hit a 100-mile-per-hour forehand that got the crowd on its feet—he was not playing badly. But Alcaraz was playing at another level. He controlled the points, managed the pressure, and when Paul had his moments, Alcaraz had an answer.
Luke
The thing is, we don't know yet if Alcaraz is truly back to his peak or if he just faced an opponent who couldn't quite match his intensity on this particular day. One match doesn't tell us whether the wrist is fully healed or whether he'll hold up over a two-week tournament.
Mimi
Fair point. But the streak—18 Grand Slam matches without a loss—that's not luck. And he's reached the quarterfinals in five of six US Opens. The pattern is real.
Mark
What about his record against American players at the Slams? That 13-0 thing seems almost absurd.
Mimi
It's a genuine edge he has. Whether it's the surface, the conditions, or just how his game matches up against American players, he's found a way to win every single time at the majors.
Luke
Though we should note that's a specific slice of competition—American players at Grand Slams only, not American players everywhere. It's a real stat, but it's narrower than it sounds.
Mark
Does this win tell us anything about whether he can win the whole thing again?
Mimi
It tells us he's dangerous. He's moving well, he's hitting through the court, and he's not showing any signs of rust. But the tournament is still young.
Luke
Exactly. One quarterfinal is not a championship. We'll know much more after the next match.
Il Polso
- A five-month wrist injury had cast real doubt over Alcaraz's season, raising the possibility that one of the sport's brightest forces might arrive at Flushing Meadows diminished or incomplete.
- Tommy Paul, seeded 20th, offered genuine resistance — a 161 km/h forehand in the opening set briefly electrified the home crowd and signaled this would not be a formality.
- Alcaraz absorbed every challenge with the calm of a player who had not forgotten how to win, systematically dismantling Paul's game across three sets with aggression and surgical precision.
- The 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 scoreline told a story of control: Alcaraz broke when it mattered, ran away with the second set, and closed the third on his own terms with a forehand rocket.
- He now stands in the quarterfinals — undefeated against Americans at Grand Slams, five quarterfinal appearances in six US Opens — with Ben Shelton or Stefanos Tsitsipas standing between him and a semifinal berth.
After nearly five months away from competition, Carlos Alcaraz returned to Arthur Ashe Stadium and answered the question that had quietly shadowed his season: whether a right wrist injury could diminish one of tennis's most complete and commanding presences. His straight-sets dismissal of Tommy Paul at the 2026 US Open was less a comeback than a continuation — an 18-match Grand Slam winning streak extended, a 13-0 record against Americans at majors preserved, and a pursuit of consecutive titles at Flushing Meadows very much alive. Some absences, it seems, only clarify what was always there.
Carlos Alcaraz stepped onto Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday and settled a question his injury had left open all season. The Spanish second seed, sidelined for nearly five months with a right wrist injury, dismantled Tommy Paul 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 in a performance that looked less like a return and more like a resumption — of form, of dominance, of a Grand Slam winning streak now stretched to 18 matches.
Paul was no passive opponent. In the third game of the first set, he cracked a forehand at 161 kilometers per hour that drew the crowd to its feet, a reminder that he carries the weapons to unsettle anyone. Alcaraz absorbed it, held firm, and took the set on his own terms. The second set was more emphatic: Alcaraz opened with a crosscourt winner, built a lead, traded breaks, then simply pulled away. The third followed the same arc — resistance from Paul, control from Alcaraz, and a closing forehand that brought up match point.
What observers noted was not just the result but the manner of it. Alcaraz played his game — aggressive, precise, built on pressure — and never appeared troubled by the occasion or the layoff. He improved his record against American players at Grand Slams to 13-0 and reached the quarterfinals for the fifth time in six US Open appearances, a tournament where he won his first major title four years ago.
Next comes either Ben Shelton or Stefanos Tsitsipas. When asked if he had rediscovered his best tennis in New York, Alcaraz kept his answer simple: the place is special to him, and every time he arrives, he plays well. Five months away from the sport had not changed that.
Carlos Alcaraz walked onto Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday and reminded everyone why he remains one of tennis's most dominant forces. The Spanish second seed dismantled American Tommy Paul 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 in a display of aggressive, precise shotmaking that carried him into the US Open quarterfinals and kept alive his bid for consecutive titles at Flushing Meadows.
Alcaraz had been away from competition for nearly five months, sidelined by a right wrist injury that threatened to derail his season. His return to the court here suggested the layoff had done nothing to dull his edge. He extended his Grand Slam winning streak to 18 matches, a run that speaks to both his consistency at the sport's biggest stages and the completeness of his game when he is healthy and sharp.
Paul, seeded 20th, came to play. In the third game of the first set, he struck a forehand clocked at 161 kilometers per hour—100 miles per hour—that threaded the net and brought the crowd to its feet. It was the kind of shot that announces a player's presence, a reminder that Paul possesses the weaponry to trouble anyone on any given day. Alcaraz absorbed the pressure and held firm, then seized the opening set late with his own precision.
The second set belonged almost entirely to Alcaraz. He opened with a crosscourt winner that seemed to set the tone for what followed. He built a 2-0 lead, traded breaks with Paul, then simply ran away with the remaining games. The third set followed a similar pattern: Alcaraz moved into cruise control, Paul offered resistance but could not sustain it, and the Spaniard closed out the match with another forehand—this one a rocket that brought up match point.
What struck observers was not just the scoreline but the manner of victory. Alcaraz played his game, he said afterward, and that game is built on aggression and control in equal measure. He put pressure on Paul's return game, which allowed him to think clearly and stay calm. He was ready for a battle, he explained, and he won it decisively. Even as much of the crowd at Arthur Ashe rooted for a home winner, Alcaraz's audacious play stole the show.
The victory improved his record against American players at Grand Slams to 13-0, a streak that underscores his mastery in these settings. He has now reached the quarterfinals in five of his six US Open appearances, a consistency that reflects how much this tournament means to him. Four years ago, he won his first Grand Slam title here. He has returned to the same court ever since and played well almost every time.
Next comes either Ben Shelton or Stefanos Tsitsipas, depending on the outcome of their fourth-round match. Alcaraz's path to a second consecutive US Open crown remains clear, and his form suggests he has the tools to walk it. When asked if he was back to his best in New York, he offered a simple answer: the place is special to him, and every time he arrives, he plays well. Five months away from the sport had not changed that equation.
Citazioni salienti
I think I just played my game. I tried to play to my style. Tommy's such a talented player, and his shots are pretty dangerous, and it's difficult to control the ball when it comes to you. I was ready for a battle.— Carlos Alcaraz
It shows how special this place is to me; I'm just enjoying myself on court here. It doesn't matter that I was out for over four months. Every time I come here, I play well.— Carlos Alcaraz
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