Second seed Carlos Alcaraz delighted the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd with a commanding 7-6(3), 6-3, 6-4 victory over France’s Arthur Rinderknech in the US Open fourth round on Sunday.
The 22-year-old Spaniard, who took a medical timeout for knee pain in the previous round, showed no signs of discomfort this time. Moving with trademark speed and agility, he struck 36 winners against just 11 unforced errors to seal a place in the last eight.
Alcaraz, the 2022 champion and already a five-time Grand Slam winner, will next face 20th seed Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic.
“The energy is special – whether day or night session, it doesn’t matter,” said Alcaraz. “That’s why I always play my best tennis here in New York.”
The Spaniard captured the crowd’s imagination early with a spectacular behind-the-back shot in the fourth game. He then raised his level in the opening set tie-break, producing two blistering forehand winners and an unreturnable serve to take control.
Rinderknech faltered under pressure, sending the ball long on set point, before Alcaraz tightened his grip in the second set. A perfectly judged drop shot and a decisive overhead smash secured the crucial break in the sixth game, while he fended off both break points faced in the seventh.
In the third set, Alcaraz’s deft touch at the net earned him a break in the ninth game. He closed out the match in style with another unreturnable serve, maintaining his flawless record of not dropping a set in New York this year.
