Carlos Alcaraz produced a scintillating performance to storm into the third round of the US Open on Wednesday, brushing aside Italy’s Mattia Bellucci in straight sets. The Spanish second seed needed just one hour and 36 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium to seal a commanding 6-1, 6-0, 6-3 win, firing 32 winners in a match that underlined his title credentials. Bellucci, ranked 65 in the world and fresh from a promising run at Wimbledon earlier this year, was no match for the 22-year-old, who barely gave his opponent a foothold. Alcaraz, who could face Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals if the seedings hold, expressed his satisfaction with the display. “I played great to be honest, from the beginning until the last ball,” he said afterward. “The less time I spend on court the better for me, to go to bed early.” His next opponent will be another Italian, the 32nd seed Luciano Darderi.
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While Alcaraz eased through, Djokovic was made to work harder for his place in the third round. The Serbian star, chasing a record 25th Grand Slam singles crown, dropped the opening set against American qualifier Zachary Svajda before recovering to win 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-3, 6-1. The 38-year-old admitted he was not yet at his peak but expressed confidence that his game would sharpen as the tournament progressed. “That’s what I’m hoping, the deeper I go into the tournament the better I feel about my game,” Djokovic said. His victory marked a record-equalling 19th time he has reached the third round at the US Open, setting up a clash with Britain’s Cameron Norrie, who outlasted Argentina’s Francisco Comesana in four sets.
Elsewhere, the men’s draw delivered surprises and drama. Former finalist Casper Ruud of Norway, seeded 12th, suffered a shock exit to Belgium’s Raphael Collignon in a five-set battle, going down 6-4, 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5. American hopes were boosted, however, as fourth seed Taylor Fritz rallied past South Africa’s Lloyd Harris 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2, 6-4, and 17th seed Frances Tiafoe battled through a tense four-set win over qualifier Martin Damm, prevailing 6-4, 7-5, 6-7 (8/10), 7-5.
In the women’s draw, defending champion Aryna Sabalenka began her title defense with a composed victory over Russia’s Polina Kudermetova. After edging a tense first set in a tie-break, the world number one accelerated in the second to complete a 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 win. Sabalenka admitted the match was far from easy but praised her ability to handle pressure moments. “The first set was super-tight, super-aggressive. I was glad I was able to handle that pressure and put it back to her,” she said. She will next face Canada’s Leylah Fernandez in what promises to be a thrilling encounter.
There was no shortage of controversy as Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko, the 25th seed, was stunned by American Taylor Townsend 7-5, 6-1 before launching into a fiery on-court tirade. Townsend later revealed Ostapenko accused her of having “no class” and even threatened her outside the tournament setting. Townsend, however, brushed off the remarks, joking she might use the clip on her TikTok. Ostapenko defended her anger by pointing to Townsend’s failure to acknowledge a net cord during the match.
Elsewhere, Britain’s Emma Raducanu continued her resurgence with a dominant 6-2, 6-1 win over Indonesian qualifier Janice Tjen, who had made history by becoming the first Indonesian to reach a Grand Slam main draw in 21 years. While Tjen’s campaign ended, Raducanu’s victory sets up a mouthwatering third-round clash with ninth seed Elena Rybakina. Another Southeast Asian hopeful, Alexandra Eala of the Philippines, saw her journey conclude with a straight-sets defeat to Spain’s Cristina Bucsa.
American fans had more to cheer as fourth seed Jessica Pegula cruised past Anna Blinkova 6-1, 6-3, while veteran Victoria Azarenka displayed her enduring quality at 36, defeating Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-3, 6-3.
With both the men’s and women’s draws heating up, early signs point toward a gripping fortnight in New York, where the sport’s biggest names are already making their mark, some with ruthless efficiency and others by sheer grit.
