Carlos Alcaraz lost the third set of his career against Jaime Faria on Wednesday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium but recovered to win the match 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2, advancing to the third round of the U.S. Open for the fifth time in six years. Both players are 23 years old, with Faria being three months younger. Alcaraz improved his record against younger players on the ATP tour to 14-0 with this victory.
Alcaraz will face Wu Yibing of China in the next round on Friday. After the match, Alcaraz expressed a preference for a quick match but acknowledged that playing four sets was beneficial for testing his physical condition following a 4 ½-month hiatus due to a wrist injury.
He noted, "I wanted it to be quick, to be honest. But, you know, at the end, I realized that playing four sets was really good for me. Test everything physically, to test my body." Alcaraz's win marked his 16th consecutive victory in Grand Slam tournaments and his ninth straight at the U.S. Open.
Despite a rough start where he converted just over 50 percent of his first serves and struggled with his groundstrokes, Alcaraz dominated the next two sets, losing only three games. He reflected on his performance, stating, "I just needed to play [with] passion, to play long rallies, three, four, five shots, and then go for it." Alcaraz's ability to adjust his strategy after losing the first set was noted as a turning point in the match.