ATP Tour

Alcaraz's draw mix-up at US Open… but fellow No. 1 Club member Roddick steps in!

Carlos Alcaraz did little wrong Sunday at the US Open, where he produced a high-quality performance to overwhelm home favourite Tommy Paul and reach the quarter-finals at the hard-court major.

The defending champion was near-flawless during his 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 win inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, although he did make one amusing mistake in the wake of his fourth-round triumph.

While sat next to his fellow former No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Andy Roddick, during a post-match panel live on ESPN, it soon became clear that Alcaraz needed to take another, closer look at the US Open quarter-final draw.

“As we look ahead, Carlos, I’m sure your eyes will be on the match with [Ben] Shelton and [Stefanos] Tsitsipas. Maybe just a quick word on the challenge that both of them could bring?” Roddick asked as Alcaraz began to appear confused.

“Say again?”, said the Spaniard.

“You’re either going to play Shelton or Tsitsipas,” the 2023 US Open titlist Roddick clarified. “Maybe just a word on both of them.”

“Oh my god, I thought I was playing Medvedev or Tiafoe,” Alcaraz exclaimed, prompting laughter from around the studio. “Surprise!” Roddick responded. “You’re welcome!”

“I didn’t see the draw, oh my god,” Alcaraz laughed. “Alright, alright, let’s focus again! For sure I’m going to watch the match [between Shelton and Tsitsipas].”

It was ultimately the eighth-seeded Shelton who eased past Tsitsipas in straight sets in the night session to set a showdown with Alcaraz, who is on a personal-best 18-match winning streak at Grand Slam level dating back to the start of the 2025 US Open. Alcaraz leads Shelton 3-0 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series, with the most recent of those victories a fourth-round win en route to claiming the title at 2025 Roland Garros.

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