Carlos Alcaraz powers past Wu Yibing to reach US Open fourth round, Aryna Sabalenka cruises

NEW YORK – Reigning champions Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz sailed into the fourth round of the US Open on Sept 4 as they quietened pre-tournament concerns with more compelling wins.

Alcaraz, coming back after nearly five months away because of a wrist injury, underlined his status as the man to beat with a ruthless 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 victory over China’s Wu Yibing, while Sabalenka cruised past Uzbekistan’s Kamilla Rakhimova.

Another former champion, Daniil Medvedev, stayed unblemished in New York as he beat Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to reach the round of 16 without dropping a set.

Alcaraz’s victory extended his match-winning streak at Grand Slams to 17 following his triumph at Flushing Meadows in 2025 and his Australian Open win in February – the latter helping him to become the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam.

The Spaniard is eyeing a third title at Flushing Meadows and has looked increasingly assured with each passing round – although Wu briefly halted his early momentum on Sept 4 by recovering a break in the opening set.

“I think today was a really high rhythm. With the way that he plays, he has an unbelievable forehand and backhand, so the ball skips around a lot on court and it’s difficult to control it sometimes,” Alcaraz said.

“I stayed in there, played aggressive and smart in the tough moments and I’m really happy. I could be better, but overall I’m really proud and very happy with the performance today.”

World No. 113 Wu, bidding to become the first Chinese man to make the last 16 of a Grand Slam in the professional era, was unable to build on his bright spell in the Arthur Ashe Stadium, and Alcaraz reasserted his authority to move ahead.

The seven-times major champion’s speed around the court and relentless accuracy were on full display in the second set, but Wu’s stubborn resistance drew a scream of frustration from him before he conjured up the magic needed to double his lead.

Alcaraz said he was happy with how he had been responding to the challenges in his comeback tournament.

“To be honest, I’m better than I thought I’d be physically,” he said. “I thought I’d be bad after the first match, but I’m recovering really well and I’m doing great things off the court to be in shape.

“Every time I step on court I give it my all, I’m trying to improve after every match, and hopefully in the next round I’ll be just a bit better than today.”

With the finish line in sight, Alcaraz unleashed a huge roar as he broke for a 3-1 lead in the third set and pulled clear of Wu for a comprehensive victory that set up a meeting with American 20th seed Tommy Paul.

Former top-five player Stefanos Tsitsipas, who has struggled in recent years, upset 18th-seeded Jiri Lehecka on Sept 4 to reach the US Open fourth round for the first time.

Tsitsipas fired four times as many aces as his opponent, closing the match with a service winner to defeat the Czech 2-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7-3), 6-1.

Sabalenka powers through amid cannabis smell

Sabalenka, meanwhile, launched 10 aces to blaze past Uzbekistan’s Rakhimova 6-3, 6-4, pausing only to complain about the smell of cannabis on the court at the Louis Armstrong Stadium in a comprehensive victory.

“I was like, ‘Guys, you can do whatever, you can smoke whatever, you can relax as much as you can, but please do not do it around the tennis courts’. It’s a bit tricky to handle that smell while you’re trying to compete at your best,” the Belarusian told reporters.

Sabalenka faces American Taylor Townsend in the round of 16.

American third seed Jessica Pegula, who was playing at the same time next door in Arthur Ashe Stadium, echoed Sabalenka’s remarks.

“It makes it New York that it’s so kind of all over the place and chaotic,” Pegula said. “But I do think that there are things that maybe could be better suited towards helping the match be a tennis match and not letting other factors kind of interfere.”

One of three players who could dethrone Sabalenka, Pegula fought back from a set down to defeat 2021 finalist Leylah Fernandez 1-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Pegula, the 2024 runner-up, has a shot at achieving her childhood dream of reaching the world No. 1 ranking in Flushing Meadows.

She will next play Romanian Sorana Cirstea, who knocked out Italian 19th seed Jasmine Paolini in earlier action on the outer courts.

Ukraine’s 11th seed Marta Kostyuk beat Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3, 6-2, inching closer to punching her ticket for a maiden trip to the WTA Finals.

American Emma Navarro stunned Czech seventh seed Karolina Muchova 6-3, 7-5, notching her third win over a top-10 opponent in 2026.

Serena and Venus Williams electrified Arthur Ashe Stadium but fell to Chan Hao-ching and Maya Joint in three thrilling sets in their return to the US Open women’s doubles.

The superstar sisters, whose 14 Grand Slam doubles titles include two US Opens, rallied from a break down in the third set and led the deciding 10-point tiebreaker 5-0 but fell 6-3, 6-7 (6-8), 7-6 (10-7). REUTERS, AFP