Carlos Alcaraz brushes aside Tommy Paul to reach US Open quarter-finals

Clinical Carlos Alcaraz moved a step closer to making more tennis history after cruising into the US Open quarter-finals.

The Spaniard, still showing no signs of the wrist injury which sidelined him for more than four months before the tournament, dismantled American Tommy Paul in straight sets.

Alcaraz is already the youngest man to complete career grand slam and should he go on to win back-to-back Flushing Meadows crowns he would become the only man in the open era to successfully defend major titles on all three surfaces.

Having won on the grass of Wimbledon in 2023 and 2024 and on the French Open clay in 2024 and last year, the 23-year-old can complete the set on hard courts if he triumphs next Sunday.

Paul, the 20th seed, had talked up his chances before the match, saying “I like to think of myself as somebody who always thinks I can beat those (top) players”.

But a 6-4 6-3 6-4 defeat means Alcaraz has now beaten the 29-year-old six times in a row, winning the last 14 sets they have contested.

He actually faced two set points at the end of the third, but swatted them away with two contemptuous forehand winners on his way to victory in two hours and 21 minutes.

“I played my game, tried to play my style,” he said. “Tommy is such a talented player, his shots are dangerous so I tried to be ready for the battle, to be ready to run and be aggressive.

“I think I did it pretty well. Really happy with the performance today. Am I back to full power? I mean I think so.”