Carlos Alcaraz, the second seed in the US Open, created a commotion through his thrilling performance. He had, after all, played impressively enough to make it to the second round of the tournament. The 22-year-old Spanish tennis superstar certainly proved that in spades on court. He beat American Reilly Opelka in straight sets, finishing the match 6-4, 7-5, 6-4. This victory marks a promising start in Alcaraz’s quest for a second Grand Slam title this year, following his successes at major tournaments.
On court, Alcaraz delivered an all-time performance return to return game. In fact, he called it the best part of his game. After he broke Opelka to take a 3-2 lead in the first set, Griekspoor never relinquished control over the contest. After a sensational opening set, it was Alcaraz’s turn to serve out a love game for the match, wrapping up his passage with little fuss.
“The return was one of the best things today. I tried to play my best tennis, tried to be focused on the serve. Overall, I had a really great performance today.” – Carlos Alcaraz
Beyond his incredible shotmaking, the man of the moment, Alcaraz, made waves this year with a fresh new buzz cut. The character hairstyle change recently generated a lot of backlash on social media. Alcaraz dove right in and started interacting with fans, asking them what they thought of his redesign.
“I’ve got to ask the people if they like the new haircut or not. Did you like it, guys? I think they like it,” – Carlos Alcaraz
A five-time major trophy winner, including the doubles title last year, Alcaraz is in no way unfamiliar to high-stakes competition at this level. It’s hard to believe that three years ago, he won his very first title in New York. Since those fledgling days, he’s transformed into one of the most dangerous players on the ATP tour. His flawless performance this week on the male side only cements his position as the top overall contender for this year’s crown.
Next up for Alcaraz will be Italian Mattia Bellucci in the second round. His performance in the next game will be the first chance for him to show what he can do against NBA competition.
“Nothing depends on you. It always depends on him,” – Carlos Alcaraz
