Carlos Alcaraz has reached the quarterfinals of all four Grand Slams in the same season for the first time in his career.<\/p>\n
Defeating Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech 7-6 (3), 6-3, 6-4 inside Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday, the 22-year-old Spaniard became the youngest man in the Open era to reach 13 Grand Slam quarterfinals.<\/p>\n
Alcaraz, who won a point with a nifty behind-the-back shot in the first set, will take on Czechia\u2019s Jiri Lehecka on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the US Open quarterfinals with a win during his Aug. 31 match. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n
\u201cProbably a lot of people have [talked] about [how] I am not as [consistent] as I should be,\u201d Alcaraz said after his 2-hour, 12-minute match. \u201cBut at the same time, those stats are really great to know for me, just to see that, you know, I\u2019m making really good results in the really good tournaments. Obviously, I sometimes am really hard [on] myself that the quarterfinals is not enough, semifinal is not enough sometimes.<\/p>\n
Arthur Rinderknech lost to Carlos Alcaraz during their Aug. 31 match. Getty Images<\/p>\n
\u201cBut you have to see more than their shots, I have to see if I played well, and realize that semifinal or quarterfinal in a Grand Slam is pretty good result, though.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sunday also marked the first time in Alcaraz\u2019s career that he reached a major quarterfinal without dropping a single set through the first four rounds.<\/p>\n
Carlos Alcaraz reacts during his Aug. 31 match at the US Open. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n
\u201cRight now, I\u2019m not thinking about last year anymore,\u201d said Alcaraz, who was stunned by Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round at the 2024 tournament. \u201cI\u2019m just going to the court thinking like I\u2019m playing well and just feeling great physically. I\u2019m just hitting the ball really well, as well. I\u2019m thinking about playing my best tennis and [enjoying] myself, you know, when I step on the court. That\u2019s all I am thinking about when I\u2019m approaching every match.\u201d<\/p>\n
In his first three matches, Novak Djokovic showed vulnerability. <\/p>\n
He dropped a few sets. <\/p>\n
He wasn\u2019t at his best.<\/p>\n
Novak Djokovic reacts after winning his match at the U.S. Open on Aug. 31. Jason Szenes for the NY Post<\/p>\n
Sunday night was a different story.<\/p>\n
The 24-time Grand Slam champion and No. 7 seed had no trouble with Jan-Lennard Struff, cruising into the quarterfinals with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 victory at Arthur Ashe Stadium. <\/p>\n