Carlos Alcaraz opens up on possible knee injury after US Open 3rd round clash

Carlos Alcaraz stormed into the US Open fourth round with a commanding 6-2, 6-4, 6-0 win over Italy’s Luciano Darderi, but the straight-sets victory came with a moment of concern as the Spaniard required a medical timeout.

The No. 2 seed, champion at Flushing Meadows in 2022, was broken for the first time in this year’s tournament midway through the third set and quickly summoned the trainer. Alcaraz received treatment on his knee, raising fears of an injury setback.

Any worries proved short-lived. The 22-year-old shrugged off the issue, won every game thereafter, and closed out the contest in just 1 hour and 44 minutes.

“Just a precaution”

Speaking after the match, Alcaraz insisted there was no cause for concern.

“I’m feeling good. Just a precaution that I asked for the physio when he broke my serve in the last point. I felt something that wasn’t working good in the knee. After five, six points it was gone,” he explained. “I asked for the physio just to take care because it was one set left. I had to be ready and feel good physically. I’m not worried about it.”

Aside from the brief interruption, Alcaraz’s performance was imperious. He struck 31 winners against only 12 unforced errors and dominated the shorter exchanges, winning 70 of the 105 points that lasted four shots or fewer.

Darderi, the 32nd seed, admitted afterwards that the challenge of facing Alcaraz was overwhelming. “It’s too bad that I ran into Carlos in the third round, because right now it’s impossible to play against Jannik (Sinner) or Carlos. They are the two whose level is above everyone else’s,” he said.

The win improved Alcaraz’s Grand Slam record to 80–13, making him just the fourth player in history to reach 80 major match wins before turning 23, after Boris Becker, Bjorn Borg and Rafael Nadal.

Next up, the Spaniard faces France’s Arthur Rinderknech for a place in the quarter-finals as he continues his push for a second US Open crown.