Carlos Alcaraz continued his flawless run at the US Open with yet another straight-sets victory, overcoming Arthur Rinderknech, 7-6, 6-3, 6-4.
The Spaniard has enjoyed a largely untroubled campaign at Flushing Meadows so far, and will now face 20th seed Jiri Lehecka in the last eight.
He has reached a 13th Grand Slam men’s singles quarterfinal, equalling both Bjorn Borg and Boris Becker for the most of any player before turning 23 in the Open Era.
Alcaraz is among the heavy favourites to hoist the trophy in New York, and with his current red-hot form, he will feel that US Open title number two is within reach.
Carlos Alcaraz reveals what he has been doing in training at the US Open
The world number two has looked unbeatable against every opponent at the tournament, which he says is down to his match-specific practice.
In his press conference after beating Rinderknech, Alcaraz explained: “In the days off between matches, we just try to approach the practice in the same way that I am going to play during the next match.
“For example, yesterday I worked on how I should deal with the serve and volley,” revealed the five-time major champion.
“Tomorrow we are going to see [who wins that game], I am going to approach the practice in that way, so I can be as ready as I can for that match.
“Also trying to hit the ball well, trying to get a good feeling with the serve and everything. It’s just easy practice and saving energy for the quarterfinals.”
Carlos Alcaraz’s tough path to the US Open title from now on
Though many will have predicted Alcaraz to reach the US Open final, his path to the championship match is not without its difficulties.
His next opponent, Lehecka, could be a potential banana skin, with the Czech star having beaten him in their only meeting on hard court, which came earlier this season at the Qatar Open.
Should he emerge victorious in the quarterfinals, he will be pitted against one of Taylor Fritz or Novak Djokovic.
Alcaraz has an undefeated record against Fritz, but has lost in his last two meetings with Djokovic at the Paris Olympics in 2024 and the Australian Open in January.
The final test for the 22-year-old will likely be defending champion Jannik Sinner, who defeated him in the Wimbledon final.
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