Latest update March 26th, 2026 12:30 AM
Alcaraz ‘not an early person’ but cruises through
Carlos Alcaraz (Reuters)
(BBC Sport) – Carlos Alcaraz showed no signs of being affected by a morning start despite being “not an early person” as he sailed into the US Open fourth round with a comfortable straight-set victory over Luciano Darderi.
The 22-year-old Spaniard had won his first two matches of the tournament during the evening sessions on Arthur Ashe Stadium, but opened play on that court at 11:30 local time on Friday.
Italian 32nd seed Darderi, appearing in the third round of a Grand Slam for only the second time, was swept aside 6-2 6-4 6-0 in one hour and 44 minutes.
“I’m not an early person,” said Alcaraz. “For me, it’s difficult to wake up in the mornings.
“That’s one of the good things about today – I woke up early, did the warm-up and played good.”
He continued: “I just tried to start awake. Starting at 11:30 is something I’m not used to, so my first goal was to start well, focused, with energy and a good rhythm.
“I started pretty well, pushing him to the limit and trying to play long rallies. I played great tennis and I’m really proud about it.”
Alcaraz received treatment to his right knee and quadricep muscle while leading 5-4 in the second set, but he said afterwards that the discomfort soon disappeared and he was “not worried about it”.
He said: “I’m feeling good. I asked for the physio because when he broke my serve, on the last point I just felt something that was not working good in the knee.
“After five or six points, it was gone.”
After the medical time-out, Alcaraz broke serve in the very next game to move two sets up, before rattling quickly through the third set to complete victory.
Alcaraz won his first Grand Slam title at the US Open as a teenager in 2022 and is aiming to win his second major of the year after retaining his French Open crown in June.
He will return to the top of the world rankings if he matches or betters Jannik Sinner’s performance in New York.
His fourth-round opponent will be the unseeded Arthur Rinderknech, who is into the last 16 of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career.
The world number 82 recovered from losing the first set to beat fellow Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi 4-6 6-3 6-3 6-2.
Jessica Pegula (Reuters)
Pegula holds off Azarenka fightback to win
American Jessica Pegula had to dig deep to beat Victoria Azarenka in the US Open third round and keep alive her hopes of winning a career-first Grand Slam on home soil.
In a 6-1 7-5 victory, 2024 finalist Pegula cruised through the first set before former world number one Azarenka fought back valiantly despite struggling with a leg injury.
Meanwhile, Italian seventh seed Jasmine Paolini suffered a surprise 7-6 (7-4) 6-1 defeat by world number 60 Marketa Vondrousova.
Paolini was beaten in the finals of the French Open and Wimbledon last year, but has failed to progress beyond the fourth round at any Slam this year.
Pegula, who suffered a heartbreaking defeat by Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s New York final, will face either her compatriot Ann Li or Australia’s world number 126 Priscilla Hon in the fourth round.
“I just tried to focus on going back to my strategy, things that went well in the first set,” said the 31-year-old when asked how she arrested her second-set slide.
“I thought I moved and scrambled really well, I wanted to make the match physical.
“My results haven’t been too amazing the last couple of months, so to be able to turn it around was awesome.”
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