Spanish sensation Carlos Alcaraz overcomes knee scare so sail into US Open second week

Carlos Alcaraz winced and flexed his right knee on Friday in New York. And fans at Flushing Meadows leant forward on their seats.

When the Spanish superstar called a physiotherapist on to Arthur Ashe Stadium soon after, the tennis world took a collective deep breath. Then he dropped serve. Surely not!

Alcaraz has been as dominant in the infancy of this US Open as he has ever been, adopting the ruthlessness of his great rival Jannik Sinner. His only mishap had been being butchered by a barber, which is the reason for shaved noggin. But could injury derail him?

Watch the biggest Aussie sports & the best from overseas LIVE on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.

If the five-time major champion does have a niggle, and later he said the pain was temporary, it did not hinder his form in any way. Indeed, it may have sharpened it, so superbly did he strike the ball in his third round encounter under moody skies in Queens.

Alcaraz was at his brilliant best when brutalising Italian Luciano Darderi, the 32nd seed who had ousted Australian Rinky Hijikata in the first round, 6-2 6-4 6-0 in 1hr 44min.

It is his 80th grand slam win. Only Bjorn Borg, with 85, had more at the same age. Alcaraz may be the world No.2 behind Sinner, but he is a phenomena on pace with all-time legends.

The reigning Roland Garros champion said that whatever it was he was feeling in his knee towards the end of the second set, it did not last for long.

“I’m feeling good. (It was) just a precaution that I asked for the physio when he broke my serve in the last point,” he said.

“I felt something that wasn’t working good in the knee. After five to six points it was gone. I asked for the physio just to take care about the knee because there was one set left and I had to be ready and feeling good physically. I’m going to talk with my team but I’m not worried about it.”

Alcaraz, who was awarded the International Tennis Writers Association media ambassador award prior to the US Open, has dropped just 10 games in his past two wins after easing past American serve-bot Reilly Opelka in the first round in straight sets.

He was quizzed about the volatile arguments that have occurred on the court and in the press room over the past week, but said the only thing troubling him aside from his shaved head was the earlier than usual start of 11.30am on Friday.

“I just went to bed at 11:00, 11:15. That for me is really weird, to be honest, which I am really proud about it,” he said.

“I’m trying to feel as much comfortable as I can, you know, off the court dealing with everything in the best way possible, then stepping on the court without being worried about anything else. (It is) just about playing. That’s what I love.

“I’m trying to bring joy to the court, playing with (a) smile, so that nothing concerns me at all. So I’m not thinking about or I’m not paying so much attention about anything else. That’s for me and the way that I’m feeling on and off the court.”

The 22-year-old, who became the youngest ever No.1 when winning the US Open in 2022, faces Arthur Rinderknech next. The Frenchman reached the second week for the first time in his career aged 30 when too good for his fatigued compatriot Benjamin Bonzi.

But all signs point to another meeting with Jannik Sinner in just over one week’s time, with the pair seeking to become the first combination to play in three consecutive grand slam finals in the same year in the Open era following their thrillers in Paris and London.

They are even meeting off the court, having bumped into each other in a Manhattan restaurant during the week, though not by design.

“It was a coincidence. I’m seeing a lot of people talking about (how) we could have gone to have lunch or to eat together, but it was just a coincidence,” Alcaraz said.

“It is a good restaurant, though. It wouldn’t be weird if we go together to have dinner, so probably one day. But (this) was a coincidence.”

While Alcaraz was in cruise control, his US Open mixed doubles partner and former champion Emma Raducanu found her third round encounter against No.9 seed Elena Rybakina anything but relaxing on Louis Armstrong Stadium.

The English player is enjoying her best season since the fairytale run as a qualifier to the title in 2021 but was blasted off the court 6-1 6-2 in just over an hour by the former Wimbledon champion, who looks to be back to her best form.

Another former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova is also looking dangerous on the hard courts in Queens and was too strong for recent Cincinnati Open finalist Jasmine Paoline when defeating her 7-6 (4) 6-1.

Last year’s finalist Jessica Pegula, who has caught the subway out to the Billie Jean King Tennis Centre this week, ousted dual-Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka 6-1 7-5 and is enjoying a welcome return to form in New York after some patchy form recently.

“I thought I moved really well. I though I scrambled really well. We train a lot in Florida, so we know each others game very well,” she said.

“My results were not that amazing the last couple of months but being able to turn it around really quickly was awesome.”

In the other completed singles match, 20th seed Jiri Lehecka was able to ease past Belgian Raphael Collignon 6-4 6-4 6-4.