Carlos Alcaraz scripts record by reaching 15th Grand Slam quarter-final
What's the story
Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz reached the 2026 US Open quarter-final after beating 20th seed Tommy Paul. The Spaniard won the match after over two hours in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 at Flushing Meadows. Alcaraz, who earlier bounced back from a wrist injury layoff, has extended his Grand Slam winning streak to 18 matches. He also reached his 15th Major quarter-final and fifth at the US Open.
Match
How the match panned out
Alcaraz's performance against Paul was a testament to his resilience and skill.
The 23-year-old displayed an impressive level of play, hitting the ball with total freedom. He converted four of his 14 break points.
The Spaniard had a win percentage of 75 and 69 on his first and second serves, respectively.
Overall, Alcaraz won 99 points in the match.
Record
Alcaraz reaches this landmark
Alcaraz has now reached the quarter-finals in 15 of his 21 Grand Slam main-draw appearances.
The Spaniard has won each of the four Grand Slams at least once. He is now 95-13 at Grand Slams.
According to Opta, only Jimmy Connors (20) has taken fewer main-draw appearances at Majors than Alcaraz (21) to reach 15 men's singles quarter-finals.
Title defense
A message to rivals
Alcaraz's performance sends a clear message to his rivals in the tournament.
"Except for one year since 2021, I made at least the quarter-finals here," he said in an on-court interview.
"That means how special this place is to me, how good I'm playing every time I come here."
Despite initial struggles with his serve, Alcaraz has improved with each round of the tournament.
Information
Alcaraz only behind Djokovic, Federer
Before this year's Australian Open, Alcaraz won the US Open. His Grand Slam winning streak has now shot to 18. As per Opta, he now has the third-highest win percentage (86.79) in men's singles hard-court Majors, behind Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer (86.8 each).
Information
Alcaraz to face Ben Shelton
Alcaraz will face Ben Shelton for a spot in the semi-final. The latter beat Stefanos Tsitsipas to reach the last eight. Notably, the Spaniard has a perfect 3-0 lead over Shelton in the ATP head-to-head series.