Carlos Alcaraz won his 55th match of the season in the US Open. He defeated Daniel Evans in a three-hour match with the scoreline being 6-2, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. Alcaraz is in the fourth round of the US Open for the third consecutive year. He was visibly drained out after the match and spoke about his main goal in the event. Alcaraz’s comment did not hit the right spot with some fans who bashed him online.
Alcaraz is only four wins away from becoming the first male player in 15 years to defend a title at the US Open. The last person to achieve this was Roger Federer in 2008, and multiple players have failed to beat the curse since then.
Carlos Alcaraz wants to follow in Roger Federer’s footsteps and defend the title for the first time since Federer. pic.twitter.com/ctEdNunr5O
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 2, 2023
People took the comment as a sign of arrogance as one fan commented, “Covid US Open champion.” It also referenced the mysterious illness in the US Open this year.
Covid USOpen champion 💪
— Luka Bijelic 🍋 (@luka_bijelic) September 2, 2023
“Keep dreaming, Djokovic will school you,” commented another fan who seemed to have disliked Alcaraz’s attitude. Some fans supported Federer, saying he had to face many top players while Alcaraz had an easy draw.
Keep dreaming, djokovic will school you
— s (@slaychau_) September 2, 2023
Unlike him Federer had competition.
50 Years old Djokovic not a real threat.
— Krypton Pro Betting (@kryptonprobett) September 2, 2023
Alcaraz had to play for two and a half hours in his second-round match and now went further in the third round. He has a day to give enough rest to his body. Alcaraz will next face Matteo Arnaldi, who took out Cameron Norrie in his previous match. The Spaniard will be making sure to answer the angry fans in his next match.
Carlos Alcaraz surprised by early exits at the US Open
Alcaraz is feeling the pressure of being the defending champion at the US Open. The 20-year-old is defending a title for the first time and keeps checking on all the results. Alcaraz said he was surprised to see some big names exit early in the event. He said he was shocked when Holger Rune and Casper Ruud left the US Open early.
He added, “All matches are very tough. This shows how competitive is this tournament is. In terms of ranking, [Novak] Djokovic’s draw is open, but there are good players left!” (via Yardbarker).
The world No.1 will sit on top of the rankings for a few more days before he surrenders the title to Djokovic, who will try to stop Alcaraz from breaking Federer’s record. The 36-year-old is on his mission to win a record 24th slam of his career. Alcaraz said he keeps a close eye on the matches even when he is off the court after the matches.
Alcaraz has only dropped a set in his first three matches at the US Open. The two-time grand slam champion can face Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals. Sinner and Alcaraz’s rivalry has continually produced the latest high-intensity matches as the event gets more unpredictable with each match. Alcaraz will dream about winning the title as his opponents will try to deny him a historic win.
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