WHAT HAPPENED: These second-week runs are becoming a habit for Carlos Alcaraz. With a 7-6(3), 6-3, 6-4 victory over France’s Arthur Rinderknech on Sunday at the 2025 US Open, the 22-year-old Spaniard became the youngest man to reach 13 Grand Slam quarterfinals in the Open Era.
The No. 2 seed improved to a perfect 4-0 against Rinderknech in career head-to-heads, and extended his ATP Tour-best record to 58-6 on the year.
“I think my style of tennis fits pretty well with the energy here in New York,” said Alcaraz, on a 10-match winning streak after claiming the Cincinnati Open earlier this month. “Every time that I step on the court for a match, for a practice, the people are always there. The energy is special. Day session, night session, it doesn’t matter. The people are always there enjoying tennis, and bringing the best energy possible.”
A five-time All-American at Texas A&M, Rinderknech was appearing in the Round of 16 at a major for the first time, and was bidding to become first Frenchman to reach the quarters in Flushing Meadows since Gael Monfils in 2019.The 30-year-old had notched a pair of career-first Top-10 wins earlier this summer in German Alexander Zverev (Wimbledon) and American Ben Shelton (Queen’s Club), but the close-cropped, pink-clad Alcaraz presented a whole different challenge on Day 8 in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
At 1-all in the opener, the speedy Alcaraz somehow chased down a dropper and, sliding, scooped it back over the 6-foot-5 Rinderknech’s outstretched racquet, the crowd roaring in approval. Out of sheer desperation at 2-all, he stabbed an around-the-back volley that a stunned Rinderknech couldn’t respond to.
Rinderknech hung tough until the first-set tiebreak, when an ill-timed double fault cost him his momentum.
The US Open champion in 2022, when at 19 he became the youngest-ever No. 1 in the ATP Rankings, Alcaraz continued to dazzle in the second, pulling ahead for good with a break for 4-2. Another break, only his second of the the two-hour, 12-minute match, would come in the ninth game of the third set, setting the stage for Alcaraz to serve it out.
Alcaraz has yet to drop a set through four rounds, losing just 36 games.
WHAT IT MEANS: Next up for Alcaraz is 20th seed Jiri Lehecka of Czechia, a 7-6(4), 6-4, 2-6, 6-2, winner over Frenchman Adrian Mannarino. It will be a rematch of this summer’s Queen’s Club final, won by Alcaraz, 7-5, 6-7(5), 6-2.
“Jiri is a really difficult, difficult player,” said Alcaraz earlier this year in Doha, after falling to Lehecka in the quarterfinals, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4. “He’s very dangerous. He hits bombs on every serve, forehand, backhand.”
MATCH POINT: Alcaraz boasts a 21-2 record at the Grand Slams this season, reaching the Australian Open quarterfinals, saving three championship points to win Roland Garros, and reaching the Wimbledon final.
