At night or during the day, and with a knee scare included, Alcaraz enjoys himself in New York

Andrés Tomás Rico | 29 Aug 2025 | 19.31

At night or during the day, and with a scare from the knee included, Alcaraz enjoys himself in New York. Photo: Getty Images

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What could have been a perfect performance was overshadowed by those discomforts in his right thigh. But Carlos Alcaraz is already in the US Open round of 16 after showcasing a demolishing display in the first two sets and, following the physical scare, switching to autopilot mode to prevent injuries. The level of Luciano Darderi also contributed as he could do nothing against the initial storm and then failed to capitalize on the Spaniard's setback, with Alcaraz advancing to the round of 16 (6-2, 6-4, 6-0), where he awaits either Benjamin Bonzi or Arthur Rinderknech.

In an unusual hour at Arthur Ashe, Carlos Alcaraz made his presence felt. The Spaniard went from finishing last in his debut to starting first in the third round. With a lighter shirt and quieter stands, he came out with high intensity, leading 3-0 in just twelve minutes with a very refined tennis game, matching Darderi's powerful shots.

From that moment, the Italian somewhat woke up and managed to stop the bleeding by holding his serve, but he couldn't hurt the lively and fiery shots of the Spaniard, who only dropped two points on his serve in the first set. Everything was going perfectly, his serve was on point, his forehand was running, and he displayed virtuosity at the net. With all these ingredients, he claimed the first set in 27 minutes (6-2).

Nothing changed at the start of the second set. Alcaraz was relentless with his serve, and despite Darderi's good intentions, the Spaniard kept control of the match, breaking the Italian's serve and then resisting the first break attempt. However, what seemed like a simple scare turned into reality two games later when from a potential 5-2 lead, it became 4-4.

This drop in performance was due to some discomfort in Alcaraz's right knee, setting off alarms. He called for the physio, who massaged his hamstring, and the positive momentum of the match could have turned into uncertainty. However, it was the Spaniard who wanted to dispel those doubts first, looking at his box and nodding in a sign of confidence. His body gave him a scare, but his tennis remained intact. So, he took advantage of a double fault from Darderi to secure the second set (6-4).

If his legs weren't keeping up, the Murcian decided to rely on his wrist. There was no need to push too hard in a match that was going in his favor until the appearance of the discomfort. So, he started to put more speed on his shots and shortened the points, aware that the sooner he finished the match, the sooner he could rest and address that muscular issue. Also, the poor serving performance of the Italian helped, as he was taken aback by Alcaraz's change of pace and conceded his service.

"Move smartly," warned Juan Carlos Ferrero, more concerned about his pupil's physical condition than the outcome, which seemed promising for Alcaraz. Leading 3-0, the El Palmar native began to measure his efforts. He was close to reaching the round of 16, and excessive exertion could affect his future in New York. But Darderi threw in the towel, aiding in ending the match quickly (6-2, 6-4, 6-0).

The feeling at the end of the match was bittersweet due to that physical setback, but if it's just a scare, Carlos Alcaraz's tennis is ready to fight until the end for the US Open and the world number one position.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, De noche o de día, y con susto de rodilla incluido, Alcaraz se gusta en Nueva York