{
  "type": "article",
  "title": "Back from a wrist injury, Alcaraz thrashes Wu Yibing to reach the US Open last 16",
  "summary": "Carlos Alcaraz beat Wu Yibing in straight sets to reach the US Open fourth round, stretching his Grand Slam winning streak to 17 matches as he continues to sharpen his form following a long wrist injury layoff.",
  "content": "Carlos Alcaraz needed only two hours and 20 minutes to put away Wu Yibing 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 on Friday, sending a message to the rest of the men's draw at Flushing Meadows that his form is sharpening with every match he plays.\n\nA lopsided scoreline that still had rough edges\nOn paper, the straight-sets win looks routine, but Alcaraz did not have things entirely his own way against Wu. The 23-year-old Spaniard struck 21 winners to stretch his career-best run of Grand Slam singles match wins to 17, yet he also handed back 33 unforced errors and landed only 67% of his first serves across the match. His first-serve percentage sank even further in the second set, down to 53%, and he was seen airing his frustration on court more than once during the contest. He gave up early advantages in both the first and second sets before finding another gear to close out the third 6-1 and seal the win. At times the frustration was written on his face at his own lapses in consistency, though the former world number three kept showing visible signs of progress throughout the contest, a contrast to the tougher fight he needed to escape a set down against Portugal's Jaime Faria in the previous round.\n\n\"Better than I thought\"\n\"To be honest, I'm better than I thought,\" the seven-time major champion said once the match was done. He explained that he had braced for his body to feel the strain after his opening match of the tournament, but instead found himself recovering well, and put that down to the work he has been doing away from the court to stay in good shape. He also said he had now settled into the rhythm of competition and that his level felt strong, adding that his aim in every match was simply to keep improving on the last one. The tone of his comments suggested a player growing more confident with each passing round of his comeback.\n\nOnly the third match back after a wrist injury\nFriday's win over Wu was just Alcaraz's third singles match since he injured his wrist in April, an absence that kept him off a singles court for 139 days heading into this US Open, a lengthy lay-off by the standards of any top player. He got his campaign under way with a straight-sets win in round one, then had to fight his way out of trouble in round two, recovering from a set down to defeat Faria. Coming through Friday's test against Wu means the 17-match Grand Slam winning run that began with his triumphs at the 2025 US Open and the 2026 Australian Open remains unbroken, even after such a long layoff.\n\nAn opening at the top of the draw\nAlcaraz's route to an eighth Grand Slam title has opened up considerably over the past few days. With world number one Jannik Sinner missing the tournament through injury, the draw is now led by French Open champion and Wimbledon runner-up Alexander Zverev. Because Alcaraz is seeded second, the two cannot meet before the final itself, and Zverev has already been made to work hard for his place in the draw, needing five sets in both of his matches so far and being kept on court until 2am on one occasion. There have been shocks elsewhere too. Novak Djokovic went out in the first round to Argentina's Mariano Navone, and Canadian third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime was beaten in round two by Karen Khachanov, removing two more seeded names from the picture and leaving that side of the draw noticeably thinner.\n\n\"Getting better by the moment\"\nFormer Wimbledon champion Pat Cash said Alcaraz was strengthening his case as the man to beat with every round he came through, pointing out how remarkable it was that a player could return from four months out with no match play and still be in contention to win the US Open. \"He is a class above everybody else, when he is good, and he is getting better by the moment,\" Cash said. He added that the way Alcaraz was moving around the court gave no indication that he would struggle to go deep in the tournament.\n\nThe path that remains\nAlcaraz will next face American 20th seed Tommy Paul in the fourth round, a player he has beaten in all six of their previous meetings. Looking further ahead, American eighth seed Ben Shelton is currently the only top-10 player he could run into before the semi-finals, with seventh seed Daniil Medvedev a possible last-four opponent after that. Alcaraz has won all three of his career meetings with Shelton and leads his head-to-head with Medvedev 6-3, although the Russian did get the better of him at Indian Wells in March. On the other side of the draw, the players who could stand between Zverev and a place in the final include home favourite Taylor Fritz and Italy's Flavio Cobolli, who was the runner-up at this year's French Open. Taken together, the way both halves of the draw have shaped up leaves plenty of scope for the tournament to turn on any of these matches.\n\nWhat this means for you\nFor tennis fans, Alcaraz's smooth run back to full fitness makes him the player to watch for the rest of this US Open.\n\n• Fourth-round appointment: Alcaraz's next match is against American 20th seed Tommy Paul. Fans following the tournament should watch this contest given Alcaraz has won all six of their previous meetings, making it a key form check on his comeback.\n• Possible blockbuster final: Because Alcaraz cannot meet Alexander Zverev before the final, both players could be on a collision course for the title match. Fans hoping to see the two top contenders meet should track both halves of the draw as the tournament progresses.\n• Shelton and Medvedev as roadblocks: Ben Shelton and Daniil Medvedev remain the toughest potential tests before a possible final. Anyone following Alcaraz's title bid should note that Medvedev already has a win over him this year, at Indian Wells in March.\n• Wide-open bottom half: With Djokovic and Auger-Aliassime both eliminated early, fans backing an upset run should watch how far Karen Khachanov or Mariano Navone can progress in this loosened draw.\n\nQuestions & Answers\n\n1. What was the final score in Alcaraz's win over Wu Yibing?\nCarlos Alcaraz won 6-3, 6-4, 6-1.\n\n2. How long was Alcaraz out through injury before this US Open?\nHe was off a singles court for 139 days after injuring his wrist in April.\n\n3. Who does Alcaraz play in the fourth round?\nAmerican 20th seed Tommy Paul, whom Alcaraz has beaten in all six of their previous meetings.\n\n4. Why can't Alcaraz meet Alexander Zverev before the final?\nAlcaraz is the second seed while Zverev currently heads the draw, so under the tournament's seeding structure they can only meet in the final.\n\n5. Which seeded players have already been upset in the draw?\nNovak Djokovic lost in the first round to Mariano Navone, and Felix Auger-Aliassime lost in the second round to Karen Khachanov.\n\n6. How many consecutive Grand Slam matches has Alcaraz now won?\n17 in a row, including his 2025 US Open and 2026 Australian Open titles.\n\n7. Who could Alcaraz face in the semi-finals?\nSeventh seed Daniil Medvedev is a possible semi-final opponent, with eighth seed Ben Shelton the only top-10 player he could meet before that stage.",
  "url": "https://trendkia.com/en/tennis/chota-se-139-dina-bahara-rahane-ke-bada-alcaraz-ne-wu-yibing-ko-raunda-us-open-ke-chauthe-daura-men-entri-27927",
  "category": "Tennis",
  "publishedAt": "2026-09-04",
  "tags": [
    "Carlos Alcaraz",
    "US Open",
    "Wu Yibing",
    "Tommy Paul",
    "Alexander Zverev",
    "tennis",
    "Grand Slam"
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "site": "TrendKia"
}