The defending champions are finding their rhythm, and Flushing Meadows is starting to feel like home territory all over again.
Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka sailed into the US Open’s last 16 on Friday with performances that suggested their title defences are gathering serious momentum as the tournament enters its business end.
Alcaraz, shaking off the rust from a four-month injury absence, dispatched China’s Wu Yibing 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 in a display of increasing dominance, whilst Sabalenka was similarly imperious in a 6-3, 6-4 dismissal of Kamilla Rakhimova that never remotely resembled a competitive tennis match.
The question is whether anyone can stop the champions now they’ve hit top gear.
Sabalenka battles marijuana smell
World number one Sabalenka didn’t face a single break point whilst dismissing 92nd-ranked Rakhimova, firing 29 winners with 10 aces in a performance that showcased her baseline power and serving dominance.
The statistics suggest cruise control, but the match proved trickier than numbers indicate, with Rakhimova challenging Sabalenka during a second-set slugfest that had the world number one working harder than she’d anticipated.
But Sabalenka’s biggest battle wasn’t with her opponent, it was with the pervasive smell of marijuana wafting down from the stands, an increasingly common issue at the US Open that’s testing players’ patience.
“It’s a bit tricky to handle that smell while you’re trying to compete at your best,” Sabalenka said after complaining to the umpire mid-match about the issue.
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Trying to execute world-class tennis whilst inhaling secondhand marijuana smoke isn’t exactly ideal preparation for championship tennis, but Sabalenka handled both opponent and atmospheric challenges to advance.
She must repeat as champion to have any chance of remaining world number one, adding extra pressure to every match. Next up is 96th-ranked American Taylor Townsend, who upset 15th-seed Diana Shnaider 6-2, 6-7 (3/7), 6-3.
Alcaraz finds his groove
The Spanish star will face 20th-seeded American Tommy Paul for a quarter-final berth after Paul survived a five-set marathon against 15th-seed Alexander Bublik, prevailing 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (4/7), 6-1, 6-3.
Alcaraz paid tribute to Wu’s qualities whilst acknowledging the Chinese player created genuine problems with his skidding groundstrokes.
“The way he plays is unbelievable, the rhythm he has on every shot, forehand, backhand,” Alcaraz explained. “His balls skid a lot on the court and, for me, it’s really difficult to control sometimes. But I think I stayed there. I played aggressive. I played smart in the toughest moments.”
Wu recovered early breaks in both the opening sets, suggesting this might become competitive. But Alcaraz pocketed both with breaks in the final games, then saved a pair of break points in the third set’s opening game before rolling home without serious alarm.
“I think my level is really good,” the defending champion assessed. “I’ve got into the rhythm of the competition. I’m getting there.”
Getting there indeed. After four months watching from the sidelines whilst his wrist healed, Alcaraz looks increasingly like the player who claimed his seventh Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January.
Pegula’s desperate escape
Third-seeded American Jessica Pegula, one of the players who could knock Sabalenka off her number one perch, survived a genuine scare against Canadian Leylah Fernandez in a battle of former finalists.
After losing the opening set 1-6 in what looked like impending disaster, Pegula mounted a desperate fightback to claim the next two sets 6-4, 6-3 and keep her championship dreams alive.
It was the kind of escape that defines deep tournament runs, grinding through adversity when form deserts you, and emerging victorious despite playing well below your best.
Pegula will need considerable improvement if she’s to go the distance.
Tsitsipas defies ranking plummet
Perhaps the day’s most remarkable performance came from unseeded Stefanos Tsitsipas, whose ranking has plummeted from world number three to 53rd, a freefall that speaks to a disastrous recent run.
Yet the Greek star toppled 18th-seed Jiri Lehecka 2-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7/3), 6-1 to reach the US Open fourth round for the first time in his career, proving that class doesn’t disappear just because rankings suggest decline.
He’ll face American eighth-seed Ben Shelton in the last 16 after Shelton defeated Canada’s Denis Shapovalov 7-6 (7/3), 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-4 in Friday’s late match.
The last 16 awaits
The defending champions march on, gathering momentum as Flushing Meadows enters its final week. Alcaraz looks increasingly sharp after his injury layoff. Sabalenka appears utterly focused despite marijuana distractions and number-one ranking pressure.
Both face sterner tests ahead, but Friday’s performances suggest they’re rounding into championship form at precisely the right moment.
The last 16 begins with familiar faces still standing and new challengers emerging. But right now, betting against either defending champion reaching another final feels like folding a winning hand.
