Just In: Tennis Fans Left Stunned as Jamie Murray Makes Shocking Statements About Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open
Carlos Alcaraz started to show glimpses of his very best level in his second-round match at the US Open.
The Spaniard, bidding to become the first player since Roger Federer in 2008 to defend the men’s singles title in New York, beat Jaime Faria to advance to round three.
Alcaraz conceded the first set to the Portuguese player, but dominated for the remainder of the contest, winning 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2.
After four months out of action with a wrist injury, Alcaraz has shown little to no signs of regression, having beaten Roman Safiullin in straight sets prior to his triumph over Faria.
All of a sudden, Alcaraz, who was predicted to bow out in the early stages of the US Open by many, is being tipped as the favourite.
Ryan Harrison and Jamie Murray discuss Carlos Alcaraz
“I’m even more confident now that he’s going to win the title than I have been at any point in time throughout this tournament,” said former American player Ryan Harrison on Sky Sports.
“Because he’s now lasted four sets, he’s played his first-round and his second-round match. He responded to the match competition after the opening match, and he got through four sets.
“And it felt like last night he really, really hit his stride in the middle of that match. So looking at Carlos and the way that he played, especially after that first set, I think it’s expected that he would have a little bit of a rust at some point.
“But when he’s playing his best and he hits his stride there, I’m very confident of the form that he’s playing right now.”
Former doubles Grand Slam champion Jamie Murray added: “Well, I like that Ryan picked him to win the tournament. I did too.
“I’d say, for me, if he gets through the first week, I think he becomes a big favourite for the tournament because he’ll have three matches under his belt.
“He won’t stop talking about his rest and his fitness and stuff. But if he came back and finished the match really strong, I think he only lost one point on his serve in the third set, I’m sure he’s pretty excited for his games after such a long hiatus.”
Rick Macci says Carlos Alcaraz is exceeding expectations
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Serena Williams’ former coach Rick Macci said of Alcaraz: “Carlos has already exceeded expectations.
“Playing matches in tournament combat let alone a grand slam street fight 3 out of 5 with no pre game warm up is a different animal.
“But the Spanish Cheetah is a different animal. He is an anomaly, playing Monopoly and landing on Broadway in New York to perform.
“To me, what he’s doing with this comeback of being on the shelf for 139 days shows the world that the Spanish Magician is wired very differently in oh so many ways.”
Alcaraz will take on Wu Yibing in the third round of the 2026 US Open
