Carlos Alcaraz has been touted as a top prospect in tennis for a couple of years. His results over the past couple years have been impressive, too–especially for a teenager.
But it will likely be the 2021 U.S. Open that goes down as the setting at which he truly announced his arrival.
Alcaraz unofficially laid the groundwork for what is expected to be a rise to superstardom when he stunned Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(2), 0-6, 7-6(5) during third-round action on Friday evening. The 18-year-old treated a raucous Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd–the vast majority of which was firmly in his corner–to a memorable victory that required four hours and seven minutes of play.
“I have no words to explain how I’m feeling right now,” Alcaraz said afterward. “I just don’t know what happened out there on the court. I can’t believe that I beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in an epic match. For me it’s a dream come true.”
It was certainly a dream start to the match for Alcaraz, who played fearless tennis right out of the gates on his way to a 6-3, 3-0 lead. With much more experience and a much higher ranking of No. 3 in the world, though, Tsitsipas was never going to bow out quietly. The Greek finally found his footing and recovered to take the second set by winning six of the next seven games.
It wasn’t the last time Tsitsipas responded well to adversity. After losing set three in a tiebreaker, he had no trouble whatsoever in forcing a decider. The 23-year-old dropped a mere 10 points in the entire fourth set.
Surrendering the fourth in such swift fashion may have been a blessing in disguise for Alcaraz. It allowed him to save energy for the fifth–a fifth and final set that won’t soon be forgotten. Serving second and thus faced with the pressure of constantly playing from behind, the world No. 55 delivered clutch hold after clutch hold all the way to a tiebreaker.
In the ‘breaker, Alcaraz built a 6-3 advantage only to see two match points on his own serve go by the wayside–one in tantalizingly close fashion. At 6-5, however, the teenager converted his third chance in appropriate style with a punishing forehand winner.
It was his 61st winner of the day, 18 of which came in the final set alone.
“(He was) going for every single shot,” Tsitsipas commented. “I have never seen someone play such a good fifth set, honestly…. (His) ball speed was incredible. I’ve never seen someone hit the ball so hard.”
It is hardly the No. 3 seed’s own fault that he is out of the U.S. Open. He simply ran into an opponent that could not be stopped.
“The best tennis I’ve played,” Alcaraz concluded.
amazing
I thought he was sensational. His forehand is just WOW! Tsit certainly felt the displeasure of the crowd.
The kid can crack a forehand!
Does the USO crowd seem particularly bloodthirsty this year? I just read an article about Djoker complaining he was getting heckled by a courtside fan, yelling when he was about to hit a smash and stuff. Can’t believe security didn’t do something about that.
some big names exiting the USO together.
Tsitsipas, Rublev, Osaka, all out.
I had Thompson beating Karatsev not too far wrong