NEW YORK — Carlos Alcaraz was cruising along in the US Open’s third round, leading by a set and a break after taking 10 of the first 14 games in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Friday, when an awkward step while striking a forehand caused an issue with his right knee.
The No. 2-seeded Alcaraz, who won the first of his five Grand Slam titles at Flushing Meadows in 2022, got broken for the first time in the tournament then took a medical timeout and had his leg massaged by a trainer.
Problem solved: Alcaraz rolled through the rest of the match, never dropping another game, and beat No. 32 Luciano Darderi 6-2, 6-4, 6-0.
It was the first, brief hint of any trouble for Alcaraz, 22, this week — well, other than the hair-cutting mistake by his brother that led to a shaved head.
He didn’t let teasing from Frances Tiafoe about that bother him, and Alcaraz didn’t seem too concerned about what went on with his knee against Darderi, a 23-year-old Italian who was making his debut as a seed at a major.
“I just felt something that was not working good in the knee, but after five, six points, it was gone,” Alcaraz said, describing the visit from the trainer as precautionary. “I’m going to talk with my team, but I’m not worried about it.”
Other than that blip, his play was terrific in the 1-hour, 44-minute match. He delivered 31 winners and 12 unforced errors, winning 70 of the 105 points that lasted four shots or fewer.
“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,” Darderi said. “Everyone knew going into today that my chances were not the highest.”
Alcaraz, who faces Arthur Rinderknech in the fourth round, improved his career Grand Slam record to 80-13. Only Boris Becker, Bjorn Borg and Rafael Nadal were younger — by a month or two — when they won their 80th match at majors.
Rinderknech, ranked 82nd, reached the fourth round at a Slam for the first time by defeating Benjamin Bonzi 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-2. Bonzi had won both of his first two matches in five sets, including a wild one against 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev, who was fined $42,500 by the tournament for his meltdown after play was delayed when a photographer wandered onto the court.
No. 4 Taylor Fritz won a late match, but No. 6 Ben Shelton and No. 17 Tiafoe were eliminated, leaving just two American men remaining.
