New York [US], September 3 : Spanish superstar Carlos Alcaraz storms into the US Open semi-finals with an ultra-clean quarter-final win on Wednesday, dismissing Jiri Lehecka in style.
The 22-year-old Spaniard hustled for a 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 victory to reach the semi-finals in New York without dropping a set. Into the last four at a hard-court major for the first time since the US Open in 2023, Alcaraz will either face four-time champion Novak Djokovic or last year's finalist Taylor Fritz.
With the No. 1 spot in the ATP Rankings up for grabs, Alcaraz ramped up the pressure on arch-rival Jannik Sinner. If he can replicate or improve upon the performance of the defending champion in New York, he will move up to the No. 1 spot for the first time since 2023
"If I think about the No. 1 spot too much, I'm going to put pressure on myself, and I just don't want to do that. I just want to step on court, try to do my things, follow my goals and try to enjoy as much as I can. The No. 1 [spot] is there, but I try not to think about it too much," Alcaraz said as quoted from the ATP tour website.
"I'm not, but sometimes when I go to the living room, my little brothers are watching my highlights, so I just sit down and watch them. Every time I watch my shots again, it reminds me [during] matches," he added.
During the second set, Alcaraz, who lost to Lehecka at their Doha clash in February earlier this year, only gave up six points on his serve. This is the third time Alcaraz has advanced to the semifinals in New York; he won the US Open in 2022.
With a Tour-leading 59 wins and six titles in 2025, Alcaraz looks in good standing to better his career-best tally of 65 wins and six trophies from 2023.
Earlier, Alcaraz showed off his showmanship on Sunday, defeating France's Arthur Rinderknech, 7-6(3), 6-3, 6-4. The 22-year-old No. 2 seed became the youngest man to reach 13 Grand Slam quarterfinals in the Open Era.
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