Carlos Alcaraz Defeats Wu Yibing to Reach US Open Second Week
· Yahoo Sports
In his first tournament back after an almost five-month injury layoff, Carlos Alcaraz is back in the second week of a Major after winning 6-3 6-4 6-1 in his third-round match against Wu Yibing.
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Alcaraz Steps Up to Reach the Second Week
Unlike his previous two matches, Alcaraz started this outing on a high, breaking serve immediately and showing improvements from his earlier matches. But the Spaniard could not sustain that level, as Wu broke him back near the middle of the set. Ultimately, that break of serve proved to be a blip rather than a sign of Alcaraz switching off, as he responded immediately with yet another break of serve. He then secured a third break soon after to close out the first set.
The second set was much closer than Alcaraz would have hoped, as the pair once again exchanged a break of serve each. From there on, it became a cagey affair, characterised by longer rallies and unforced errors from both players. Both players had chances to win the set, but committed mistakes when trying to distance themselves. Ultimately, it was Alcaraz who, near the end of the set, locked in for a return game to close out the second set with a break of serve.
From that point on, the Spaniard, who is still unbeaten in a tennis match after winning the first two sets, kept raising his level as he played some of his best tennis in the third set. Wu did offer some resistance in the first game, but as soon as Alcaraz won it, the match looked effectively over. Alcaraz’s level kept rising while Wu’s decreased, and soon enough, Alcaraz wrapped up the match in straight sets.
The Last Word
Despite dropping just a set in his opening three matches, Alcaraz still looks a long way from the level he was at this tournament last year. He has already been broken more times so far this tournament than he was in the entirety of his championship run at the Open last year. The serve remains a question mark, but the positive news is that Alcaraz seemed to play his best tennis to end the match against Wu, potentially building on that level for his next matches.
Mar 22, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) reaches for a forehand against Sebastian Korda (USA) (not pictured) on day six of the 2026 Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn ImagesAnd Alcaraz will need to do exactly that, as his opponents take a significant jump up in level from now on, with Alcaraz set to face the dangerous Tommy Paul in the next match. The American has already defeated Alcaraz twice previously, and if he can prolong this match and get himself into rallies, then Alcaraz will undoubtedly face his toughest test yet since his comeback on tour.
But lest we forget, the Spaniard has time and time again shown that he plays his best tennis in the most important matches. It would be foolish to think he will not rise to the occasion as he now finds himself four matches away from his eighth Major title.
Main Image Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images