Carlos Alcaraz gave his fans a brief scare during his third-round match at the 2025 US Open when he called for a medical timeout.
The Spaniard has looked unstoppable in New York so far, cruising past Reilly Opelka, Mattia Bellucci, and Luciano Darderi while dropping just 10 games across his last two matches. That translates to an average of only 1.6 games lost per set — a clear sign of the dominant level the 22-year-old is playing at. But for a moment, it seemed an injury might derail his run.
After comfortably taking the opening set against Darderi, Alcaraz requested a physio while leading 4-3 in the second. At 5-4, he received treatment on his right knee and took a medical timeout.
Any worries were quickly put to rest. Alcaraz not only resumed the match but raised his level, sweeping the remaining games to close out a 6-2, 6-4, 6-0 victory. His performance alone suggested the issue was minor, and he confirmed afterwards that it was mostly a precaution.
“I’m feeling good — it was just precautionary,” Alcaraz explained in his on-court interview. “When he broke my serve, I felt something in the knee, but after a few points it disappeared. I just wanted the physio to take care of it. I’ll talk with my team, but I’m feeling good.”
Not a Morning Person
The match was scheduled as the day’s opener on Arthur Ashe Stadium, starting at 11:30 a.m. — a rare early start for Alcaraz. He admitted afterward that his biggest challenge wasn’t the knee, but simply staying awake.
“I just tried to start awake — that was important,” he joked. “It’s not a schedule I’m used to, so my goal was to begin focused. I think I did well, playing long rallies and pushing him. But I’m not a morning person — it’s tough for me to wake up early. Today I did the warmup well, played good… It seems like I’m a Spanish guy!”
The early finish may actually work in his favor, giving him extra time to recover and ensure the knee won’t be an issue moving forward.
Looking Ahead
Alcaraz’s path to another US Open final has also cleared slightly. Both Daniil Medvedev and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina suffered early exits, leaving the Spaniard to face Arthur Rinderknech in the fourth round. The Frenchman arrives with confidence after upsetting Alexander Zverev at Wimbledon earlier this summer, but Alcaraz will enter as the heavy favorite — fitness permitting.
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