NEW YORK — Reigning U.S. Open singles champions Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka and are headed back to the quarterfinals in their respective draws at the final Grand Slam tournament of the year, and they mostly made it look easy while taking down American opponents Sunday.
Sabalenka, the No. 1 seed in the women’s tournament and seeking her third consecutive crown in New York, solved some early struggles holding serve and overpowered Taylor Townsend in the fourth round, 6-4, 6-3.
Alcaraz, seeded second behind Alexander Zverev, also advanced in straight sets, beating Tommy Paul in the second match of the day at Arthur Ashe Stadium, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4.
“I’m happy with that performance. I played my game. I tried to play my style,” said Alcaraz, whose first of what are now seven major championships was the 2022 U.S. Open title. “Tommy’s such a talented player. His shots are pretty dangerous, and it’s sometimes pretty difficult to control the ball when it comes to you, so I just tried to be ready.”
Townsend broke Sabalenka three times in her first four service games as she looked to spring the upset. Sabalenka found a groove, regained her confidence and did not lose another point after falling behind 3-1 in the second set.
“I love matches like that because it was really challenging,” the 28-year-old from Belarus said. “Going through tough challenges and overcoming those challenges, it definitely gives you strength and really strong belief that you can do it.”
This was the first meeting between Sabalenka and Townsend, who gave her opponent fits in the first set but struggled to find her own rhythm.
“This was the most comfortable and confident I’ve ever been playing against a No. 1 player in the world,” said the 30-year-old American, who was in the U.S. open’s fourth round for the second straight year and third time overall but has not advanced beyond the third round at any of the other three Grand Slam tournaments.
“From the beginning, I felt like I belonged,” she said of her match with Sabelenka.” From the beginning, I felt like I was right where I needed to be. I still feel that way.”
Next up for Sabalenka is Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova, the No. 6 seed who needed six match points to get past No. 11 Marta Kostyuk, 7-5, 5-7, 6-4.
“I played a couple of matches against her in the past, which also wasn’t the easiest matches,” Sabalenka said of Noskova. “Really aggressive style of the game. Serving really well, playing super fast. You’ve got to stay really low to be able to handle that power and energy.”
Alcaraz, playing his first tournament after a four-month absence because of a right wrist injury, said last week he would not be coming back if he could not play like his usual self. The 23-year-old Spaniard has made good on that so far, dropping just one set through four rounds in New York.
Alcaraz dictated play on the way to extending his streak of Grand Slam match wins to 18. When Paul was making things interesting in the third set, Alcaraz set up match point by hitting a shot so perfectly in bounds that it left actor Matthew McConaughey in disbelief, along with many others in the crowd.
Asked if he thinks he is back to form, Alcaraz responded: “I think so.”
The U.S. Open is bringing that out in him.
“I’m just trying to enjoy my time on the court,” he said. “It doesn’t matter that I was out four months and a half. Every time that I come here, I play my best.”
Alcaraz will play Tuesday against American player Ben Shelton, the No. 8 seed who swept Stefanos Tsitsipas on Sunday night in his strongest performance of the tournament.
“We’re happy to have him back on tour. He lights up the stadium every time he plays,” Shelton said of Alcaraz. “I think it’s going to be fireworks on Tuesday night.”
Townsend and Paul were among the 10 Americans to reach the men’s and women’s round of 16. That is the most in the fourth round at any Grand Slam in nearly a quarter-century, going back to the 2002 U.S. Open, when there were 11.
The five U.S. men — Paul, Shelton, Learner Tien, Frances Tiafoe and Alex Michelsen — are the most at a major since eight in 1995 at Flushing Meadows.
“American tennis has been on the up and up for many years now,” Townsend said. “There have been a really consistent chunk of players — Jess, Coco — (who) have been at the top and inside the top five for the last, I don’t know how many years. Ben, Frances, Tommy, Taylor: It’s just such a great group of men, as well.”
At 20, Tien is the youngest American man in the U.S. Open fourth round since Andy Roddick in 2002.
Tiafoe knocked off seventh-seeded Daniil Medvedev, 7-6 (1), 6-4, 7-6 (6), to improve to 10-0 in his career at Louis Armstrong Stadium, which he called “the people’s court.”
“We play so much outside of the States, obviously a lot of time in Europe,” Tiafoe said. “This sport’s so international, so to be able to play in front of friends, family, loved ones is amazing. They don’t get to see you much, so you want to put on a show.”
Michelsen beat Tomas Martin Etcheverry, 7-6 (6), 6-4, 6-4.
Michelsen and Tiafoe will meet in the quarterfinals Tuesday, guaranteeing an American man in the semifinals. No U.S. men’s player has won a Grand Slam singles title since Roddick at the 2003 U.S. Open.
“We’ve been working really hard to get to this point, and I’m really happy but not super surprised because of all the work I put in my whole life,” Michelsen said after reaching his first Grand Slam quarterfinal.
There will also be an all-American matchup in the women’s quarterfinals. No. 3 Jessica Pegula got there by beating No. 16 Sorana Cirstea and will face 26th-seeded Emma Navarro, who ousted No. 21 Anna Kalinskaya in straight sets.