Alcaraz, youngest in Open Era with 13 Grand Slam quarterfinals, faces Czech Jiri Lehecka next, a rematch of Queen’s Club final won by Alcaraz
New York
Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka powered into the US Open quarterfinals with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Cristina Bucsa, ensuring she retains her World No. 1 ranking. The 73-minute victory marked her 12th straight Grand Slam quarterfinal and fifth consecutive at Flushing Meadows. She will face 2023 Wimbledon winner Marketa Vondrousova, who beat Elena Rybakina 6-4, 5-7, 6-2. Sabalenka leads their head-to-head 5-3.
Jessica Pegula also advanced, beating Ann Li 6-1, 6-2 in just 54 minutes. The win marked her 19th career US Open victory, her strongest record at any major. Pegula is now 8-2 in Slam fourth-round matches.
On the men’s side, Novak Djokovic eased past Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3, 6-3, 6-2, becoming the oldest man to reach all four Grand Slam quarterfinals in a single season. This is his 14th US Open quarterfinal, surpassing Roger Federer and Andre Agassi, and trailing only Jimmy Connors’ 17. Djokovic now faces Taylor Fritz, who defeated Tomas Machac in straight sets.
Carlos Alcaraz, 22, also progressed, defeating France’s Arthur Rinderknech 7-6(3), 6-3, 6-4. Alcaraz became the youngest man in Open Era history to reach 13 Grand Slam quarterfinals. He next meets Czech seed Jiri Lehecka, who overcame Adrian Mannarino 7-6(4), 6-4, 2-6, 6-2. Their clash will be a rematch of this summer’s Queen’s Club final, won by Alcaraz.
With Sabalenka, Djokovic, and Alcaraz all advancing, the US Open quarterfinals promise high drama, star-studded battles, and potential history-making performances on both the men’s and women’s sides.