Carlos Alcaraz successfully navigated his return to the court on Wednesday, overcoming a slow start to defeat Jaime Faria 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The Spanish second seed, who has been managing a wrist injury, spent two hours and 40 minutes in the match. Alcaraz admitted he hoped for a quicker contest but noted the four-set duration provided a valuable physical test for his body.
Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka delivered a dominant performance on the main showcourt, dispatching Russian qualifier Polina Iatcenko 6-1, 6-1. Following her victory, the world number one pushed back against media inquiries regarding her pre-tournament activities. She expressed frustration at suggestions that her social media posts indicated partying rather than training, questioning why such assumptions were being made.
Tournament organizers faced a challenging schedule with 14 matches carried over from Tuesday’s weather-affected play. Despite a brief afternoon rain delay at Flushing Meadows, the event made significant progress. Daniil Medvedev, the 2021 champion, advanced with a 6-1, 6-3, 7-5 win over American wildcard Sebastian Gorzny, a match briefly interrupted when two birds landed on the net.
American players saw mixed results throughout the day. Jessica Pegula moved into the next round by dismantling Sofia Kenin 6-3, 6-1 in just 56 minutes. Eighth seed Ben Shelton overcame a difficult challenge from Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz, winning 6-3, 5-7, 7-6(3), 7-5. Emma Navarro defeated Caty McNally 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, and Frances Tiafoe beat Rei Sakamoto 6-3, 7-6(2), 7-5. However, 2017 champion Sloane Stephens was eliminated by 11th seed Marta Kostyuk, 6-1, 7-5.
In other notable results, Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova continued her pursuit of a second consecutive Grand Slam title with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Thailand’s Lanlana Tararudee. Runner-up Karolina Muchova dominated her match against Katie Boulter, winning 6-1, 6-0. Meanwhile, lucky loser Bu Yunchaokete secured a surprise win over 12th seed Rafael Jodar.
The men’s draw saw further upsets and milestones. Alex Michelsen defeated 16th seed Brandon Nakashima 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, while Australian sixth seed Alex de Minaur eased past qualifier Andrea Guerrieri 6-2, 6-2, 6-4. Additionally, Peruvian player Ignacio Buse achieved a maiden victory in a five-set thriller, marking the first time a member of his family has won a match at the tournament since his grandfather Eduardo in 1958. The report also notes that as organisers heaved a sigh of relief after clearing a backlog of rain-delayed matches, carlos Alcaraz took another solid step in his comeback from injury while fellow defending champion Aryna Sabalenka also advanced at the US Open on Wednesday. The report also notes that where the Spanish second seed dropped the opening set before blowing away Jaime Faria 4-6 6-0 6-3 6-2 with superb shot-making to ease any lingering fears about his wrist injury, alcaraz took centre stage in the evening session on Arthur Ashe Stadium. The report also notes that it was really good for me to test everything physically, to test my body, how I feel, and tomorrow how I’m going to feel after this match, after four sets, but at the end I realised that I’m just playing four sets. The report also notes that as the Belarusian crushed Russian qualifier Polina Iatcenko 6-1 6-1, before bristling at a question about her appearances at pre-tournament events, sabalenka was even more impressive a short while earlier on the main showcourt. The report also notes that like, some activities with brands, and you think that I’ve been partying, not training, just because I posted. The report also notes that earlier, third-ranked Pegula needed just 56 minutes to dismantle 2020 Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin 6-3 6-1 in the first match at Arthur Ashe Stadium to book a match-up with 2021 runner-up Leylah Fernandez.
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