Alcaraz, Sabalenka into US Open last 16 as Williams sisters lose on return | Tennis
Defending singles champions Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the round of 16 at the US Open, while tennis greats Serena and Venus Williams faced a heartbreaking defeat in their return to Grand Slam doubles competition.
Alcaraz, returning from a four-month injury hiatus, secured his spot in the fourth round with a straight-set victory over China’s Wu Yibing, winning 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 on Friday. Sabalenka displayed a similarly commanding performance, defeating Kamilla Rakhimova 6-3, 6-4 without facing a single break point.
In the next round, Alcaraz will meet American Tommy Paul, the 20th seed, who triumphed over 15th-seeded Alexander Bublik in a five-set match, 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (4/7), 6-1, 6-3.
“The way he plays is unbelievable; the rhythm he has on every shot – forehand, backhand,” Alcaraz said of Wu. Despite Wu’s early resilience in both sets, Alcaraz managed to secure crucial breaks at the end. He noted, “I think my level is really good. I’ve got into the rhythm of the competition. I’m getting there.”
Sabalenka’s power was evident as she hit 29 winners and served 10 aces against Rakhimova. The match was not without its challenges; the 92nd-ranked Rakhimova pushed Sabalenka in a competitive second set. Sabalenka commented on the pervasive smell of marijuana from the stands, which became a distraction during the match. “It’s a bit tricky to handle that smell while you’re trying to compete at your best,” she told reporters.
For her next match, Sabalenka will face 96th-ranked American Taylor Townsend, who defeated 15th-seeded Russian Diana Shnaider 6-2, 6-7 (3/7), 6-3 to advance.
In a high-profile evening session, the Williams sisters made their doubles return but could not secure a victory. The 14th-seeded duo lost a fiercely contested match against Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching and Australia’s Maya Joint, finishing 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 7-6 (10/7) after three grueling hours. The sisters, who have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles together, bounced back from a set down but ultimately fell short despite a 5-0 lead in the third-set tiebreak.
In other singles results, third-seeded American Jessica Pegula mounted a comeback to defeat Canadian Leylah Fernandez 1-6, 6-4, 6-3, while Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk overcame Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3, 6-2. American Frances Tiafoe, seeded 11th, comfortably defeated Monaco’s Valentin Vacherot 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 and will face seventh-seeded Daniil Medvedev, who advanced with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 win over 26th-seeded Arthur Rinderknech.
Unseeded former world number three Stefanos Tsitsipas beat 18th-seeded Jiri Lehecka 2-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7/3), 6-1 to reach the fourth round of the US Open for the first time, where he will meet eighth-seeded American Ben Shelton, who defeated Canada’s Denis Shapovalov 7-6 (7/3), 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-4.
