NEW YORK (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz hit a behind-the-back shot to win a point in the first set of his U.S. Open match against Arthur Rinderknech in the fourth round on Sunday.
The No. 2-seeded Alcaraz closed a love hold that made the score 2-all in spectacular fashion. Moving to his right at midcourt, Alcaraz found himself in what appeared to be a bad spot when Rinderknech — a 30-year-old from France who played college tennis at Texas A&M — wrong-footed him.
But Alcaraz wrapped his racket around his body
and flicked a shot up the line ( see it here ).
Rinderknech, perhaps startled that the point wasn't over, hit a volley that landed in the net. A big smile crossed Alcaraz's face as he looked over at his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, in the stands. Alcaraz then placed his right index finger behind his ear, as if acknowledging the spectators' cheers.
Alcaraz wound up taking that set in a tiebreaker.
He had lost a total of just 23 games through his first three matches this year at Flushing Meadows, where he claimed the title in 2022 for the first of his five Grand Slam trophies.
At 22 years and 3 months old, Alcaraz was trying to get to his fourth major quarterfinal of 2025, which would be the first time in his career that he went 4 for 4 in that category in a season. He lost to Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals at the Australian Open in January, won the French Open in June and lost to No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the final at Wimbledon in July.
A victory over Rinderknech also would allow Alcaraz to become the youngest man in the Open era, which began in 1968, to reach 13 Grand Slam quarterfinals.
Rinderknech was appearing in the fourth round of a major for the first time.
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