New York, September 3, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz admitted that he was “doing everything in a rush” during the opening set against Portugal’s Jaime Faria but said a shift towards patience and longer rallies helped him turn the match around and advance to the third round of the US Open.
The Spaniard recovered from losing the first set to defeat Faria 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 in the second round at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Reflecting on the match, Alcaraz said he quickly realised that his aggressive approach in the opening set was not working and that he needed to change the tempo.
“The first set was a little bit about adjustment for me. I would say I was playing well. I had a great point, but I think I did everything in a rush, playing short points,” Alcaraz told Jio Star.
“But I had to do the complete opposite. I needed to play long rallies, be patient over the first two or three shots, and after that, go for the point. So, I just made that mistake in the first set, and after that, I realised what I had to do in the match, and everything went well,” he added.
The 23-year-old said conversations with his team also helped him identify the tactical adjustment required against Faria.
“The feeling that my team and I had was that I needed to play cross-court a little bit more. The first two or three shots, more cross-court, and then go for it,” he said.
Alcaraz subsequently played with greater composure and also benefited from errors by his Portuguese opponent, including two double faults.
“I think he made a couple of mistakes as well, a couple of double faults that helped me get an early break, which for me was great. I was playing more calmly, and I think he just let me get back into the match and get a good result,” Alcaraz said.
After dropping the opening set, Alcaraz took control by winning eight consecutive games and breaking Faria’s serve five times in a row. He finished the contest with 43 winners to Faria’s 27 and converted seven of his 12 break-point opportunities.
The Spaniard also praised the atmosphere at Arthur Ashe Stadium, particularly the energy generated by the New York crowd during the night session.
“It’s amazing for me, going up here on Arthur Ashe, in a night session, with people going crazy. I love the energy, I love the people,” Alcaraz said.
“I’m just trying to make the match fun to watch, entertaining for them, and I just love it. I can’t wait to be back in the next round, feeling that warm again, and hopefully, people enjoyed it tonight.”
The victory extended Alcaraz’s Grand Slam winning streak to 16 matches and improved his US Open record to 26-3.
He will next face China’s Wu Yibing, who defeated James Duckworth 7-5, 6-3, 6-1.
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