US Open: Alcaraz Bounces Back After a Scare. Berrettini Already Out: “I Couldn’t See the Ball”

Carlos Alcaraz continues to improve: the Murcia native advanced to the third round of the U.S. Open after a four-set victory over Portugal’s Jaime Faria. The Spanish champion won with scores of 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2: after losing the first set, he saved a break point early in the second and really got into his stride, leaving his opponent with very little.

In the second round, the Spaniard—who is getting back into form after being sidelined for over four and a half months due to a wrist injury—will face China’s Wu Yibing, who eliminated James Duckworth. In their only previous meeting, Alcaraz prevailed at the Shanghai Masters 1000 in 2024.

It was a major disappointment, however, for Matteo Berrettini, who was defeated in four sets by Mariano Navone. The Argentine, riding a wave of enthusiasm following his sensational victory over Novak Djokovic, prevailed with set scores of 6-3, 3-6, 4-6, 6-7. The Roman seemed to have put the match on the right track with his victory in the first set, but his performance dropped sharply as the match went on, as he committed numerous unforced errors (77 in total).

After the match, Matteo was the picture of disappointment: “Unfortunately, days like this happen. It would be easy to make excuses, but it was simply a bad match on a bad day. I obviously have to congratulate him: he played—especially from the second set onward—very well, very solidly, and moved the ball very well. I wasn’t able to perform—neither in my play, nor in scoring points, nor in my attitude. I’m sorry, but I have to accept it.”

“I wasn’t seeing the ball well, but I don’t want to make excuses; I was struggling and always felt like I was a step behind. The conditions were definitely different today: the ball didn’t bounce as much as the other day, and there was more humidity.” There were a lot of unforced errors: “I couldn’t see the ball; I’d like to give you another reason, but I really felt like I was off the mark: I was always out of sync. Sometimes I felt too close, other times too far; I couldn’t drive the ball well. But that’s my game—sometimes it worked, other times it didn’t. Especially against a player like him, that weapon in the rally—which lets me change the pace and take the court—is crucial, and I wasn’t able to use it. It’s a defeat that stings.”