Carlos Alcaraz defeated American player Tommy Paul in straight sets 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 to advance to the US Open quarterfinals on September 6, 2026 at Flushing Meadows [1, 2, 3]. The match lasted 2 hours and 21 minutes, during which Alcaraz hit 33 winners [1, 2].
At 23 years old, Alcaraz is the tournament's second seed and has won seven Grand Slam titles so far [1, 2]. This marks his fifth time reaching the quarterfinals in New York [1, 2]. He leads the head-to-head against Paul 7 wins to 2 losses [1, 2].
Alcaraz returned to competition this season after a four-month hiatus due to a right wrist injury [1, 2]. Earlier in the tournament, he drew social media attention for wearing a loose sleeveless shirt that caused some wardrobe concerns. After playful comments, including from fellow player Genie Bouchard who said, "Alcaraz, I love you, but we really need to tuck that little bean away," Alcaraz added a compression undershirt. "I think I have seen my own nipples too many times recently. I feel like at least for one match I should cover them," he joked. "Since putting on this undershirt, I feel very comfortable. I think I'll keep wearing it going forward," he added [2, 3].
Alcaraz will next face either eighth seed American Ben Shelton or Greek player Stefanos Tsitsipas for a spot in the semifinals [1, 2].