Wu Yibing, the Chinese prodigy who challenges Alcaraz in New York

Carlos Alcaraz moves steadily through a US Open where many other favorites are caught off guard in the early rounds. For this reason, it's crucial to treat each match like a battle, without underestimating the initial hurdles, especially in a circuit characterized by maximum equality, where the average level has risen tremendously. His next opponent is living proof of this... and the Murcian actually experienced it firsthand exactly two years ago.

It was in Shanghai, at a Masters 1000 where Carlitos faced a player with total ball speed, surprising inspiration, and an incredible ability to go toe-to-toe with astonishing ease. This player was Wu Yibing, a gem of Chinese tennis hidden among injuries, lack of consistency, and a fragility to endure the rigors of the circuit that always kept him from going further. He had already made history, becoming the first ATP champion from his country a year before in Dallas, and that afternoon in 2024, Wu proved that he possesses both weight and ball speed, pushing Carlos to his limits and forcing him to dig deep in the tiebreak of the first set to avoid worse outcomes.

We discover who Wu Yibing is, Alcaraz's next opponent in the US Open

It was a small sample of what the natural of Hangzhou is like... and, at the same time, a perfect microcosm of what his career has been like up to now. At 26 years old, it is possible that Wu's best historical ranking (#54 in the world, May 2023) does not reflect his true potential and talent. What’s the problem? His talent always came in small doses, very sporadically. Enough to convince us that he belongs to the elite, but not enough to leap to the next level within it.

#Hangzhou-born #tennis player Wu Yibing is through to the second round of the US Open 2026! 🎾 He defeated Australia's Adam Walton 7-6(2), 6-2, 7-5 in straight sets, reaching the second round for the first time in three years. #USOpen 

📷/Five Star Sports

@usopen pic.twitter.com/DxGOWwsjdV

— Hangzhoufeel (@hangzhoufeel) August 31, 2026

Since that match, the Chinese player's career has been marked by numerous interruptions, with injuries cropping up every so often and victories, especially in the Challenger circuit, keeping him in the spotlight and allowing him the chance to access the best tournaments in the world. In this US Open, Wu has been the scourge of the Australians: he reaches the third round without losing a single set, eliminating Adam Walton and James Duckworth; his last victory at the ATP level was at Roland Garros, where he advanced to the second round after defeating Giron.

Since then, tough losses, like the one suffered in Den Bosch (he lost to Thijs Boogard, a young Dutch prospect who was outside the top-500). It is challenging to profile the Chinese player's trajectory, alternating Challenger tournaments in different locations with ATP qualifiers and other 250s almost indiscriminately, with a mix of surfaces that mimics his inconsistency on the court.

Because yes, he lacks no talent: that day he showed he could match Alcaraz in speed and weight of shot. Hellish rhythm from both sides of the court, ease in hitting out wide and changing with angles, depth and precision in a racket that, on his best days, is a glove. What’s the problem? For Yibing, maintaining plan A without turning into a hit-or-miss player for more than two hours is a hard task: it's the flip side of his style, as attractive and powerful as it is difficult to sustain on a bad day.

It is precisely that lack of variety that condemns him at certain key moments, where pressure and nerves can, at times, make one pull the handbrake a little. There, Wu mitigates risk, his tennis loses punch, and he becomes an easy target for names that thrive in big moments. Not only that: his physique suffers after playing several back-to-back matches, a factor that he could feel much more against the Murcian.

They can expect, without a doubt, a show of magnificent proportions for a set or set and a half: it wouldn’t be surprising to see a Yibing capable of winning exchanges from the baseline, surprising Carlos with angles, and imposing his speed and weight... but his style, thus far, has had a marked expiration date that grows closer as the match progresses. Maintaining patience will be the number one commandment for a Carlos who is much more consistent than his opponent... and capable of conjuring tricks that Wu does not have in his repertoire. Will he surprise for the first time and show that he can also be consistent in five sets? The Arthur Ashe will deliver its verdict... although Yibing, of course, will step onto it with nothing to lose.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Wu Yibing, el prodigio chino que desafía a Alcaraz en Nueva York