Defending champions Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka continued their dominant runs at the 2026 US Open on Friday, while former champion Daniil Medvedev also advanced to the fourth round with straight-sets victories. Alcaraz defeated Wu Yibing 6-3, 6-4, 6-1, Sabalenka beat Kamilla Rakhimova 6-3, 6-4, and Medvedev overcame Arthur Rinderknech 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in New York.
Carlos Alcaraz powers into fourth round at US Open 2026
Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz underlined his status as the man to beat at the U.S. Open with a ruthless 6-3 6-4 6-1 victory over China’s Wu Yibing on Friday as he reached the fourth round and continued his bid for a third title at Flushing Meadows.
The victory extended Alcaraz’s match-winning streak at the Grand Slams to 17 following his triumph at Flushing Meadows last year and his Australian Open win in February, the latter helping him to become the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam.
Jaime y Carlitos Alcaraz en dobles no estaría NADA mal 👀 pic.twitter.com/HXdQYGZ97Q
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 4, 2026
The Spaniard arrived in New York having missed nearly five months of action with a wrist injury and has looked increasingly assured with each passing round, although Wu briefly halted his early momentum by recovering a break in the opening set.
World number 113 Wu, bidding to become the first Chinese man to make the last 16 of a Grand Slam in the professional era, was unable to build on that bright spell on Arthur Ashe Stadium and Alcaraz reasserted his authority to move ahead.
The seven-times major champion’s speed around the court and relentless accuracy were on full display in the second set, but Wu’s stubborn resistance drew a scream of frustration from him before he conjured up the magic needed to double his lead.
With the finish line in sight, the 23-year-old unleashed a huge roar as he broke for a 3-1 lead in the third set and pulled clear of Wu for a comprehensive victory that set up a meeting with American 20th seed Tommy Paul.
Daniil Medvedev cruises past Arthur Rinderknech
Daniil Medvedev continued his strong form at the U.S. Open on Friday, beating Arthur Rinderknech 6-4 6-4 6-4 to reach the fourth round as he looks to make a deep run in New York.
The seventh-seeded Russian arrived at Flushing Meadows with plenty of room to move up the rankings, defending only 10 points after a chaotic first-round exit a year ago. He also has history on his side, having won the U.S. Open in 2021.
The only real scare for Medvedev came early, when he dropped serve for the first time in the tournament and Rinderknech, the world number 29, moved 4-2 ahead. The 30-year-old Russian recovered quickly, winning four straight games to turn around the set and take the lead.
From there, Medvedev tightened his grip. He did not face a single break point in the second set, serving with authority while converting his only break opportunity to move two sets ahead.
He carried that momentum into the third, breaking Frenchman Rinderknech in the opening game to take a decisive lead and close out his 35th win of the year.
The victory avenged Medvedev’s most recent meeting with Rinderknech, who beat him at the Shanghai Masters, while the Russian had won their previous encounter, also at the U.S. Open, in straight sets in the 2022 second round.
Medvedev will face either Frances Tiafoe or Rinderknech’s cousin, Monaco’s Valentin Vacherot, in the fourth round, where he will bid to reach the last 16 in the tournament for the seventh time in the last eight seasons.
Aryna Sabalenka extends US Open winning streak
Two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka continued her imposing run at the U.S. Open with a composed 6-3 6-4 victory over Kamilla Rakhimova in the third round on Friday, extending her bid for a fifth Grand Slam title.
Sabalenka opened play on a sweltering morning at Flushing Meadows and wasted little time making her intentions clear, breaking early to seize control and never looking back as she wrapped up the opening set.
“It’s the first time I play morning session and it’s a full stadium, I’m so grateful, it’s a dream,” a smiling Sabalenka said on court.
The world number one unleashed her trademark power from the start, producing a dominant serving display with 10 aces and no break points faced, while dropping just four points on her first serve.
“I felt great. The statistic was insane. At some point I saw on the screen it was 100% first serve. I was, like, Oh, wow,” Sabalenka later told reporters. “I’m pretty happy. Of course.”
The only hitch for Sabalenka during the opener came when a strong smell of cannabis drifted on to the Louis Armstrong Stadium court, briefly disrupting play as she alerted umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore.
In the second set, Sabalenka found herself having to work harder for her holds as Rakhimova shook off the tension and made the top seed earn her way through her service games, while saving four break points of her own.
But Sabalenka eventually found the opening she needed, producing a blistering return to earn the decisive break before serving out the victory.
“She played incredible in the second set, push me so hard and motivate me to bring out my best,” Sabalenka added. “I’m happy I closed this match in two sets.”
Sabalenka, who has now won 16 straight matches at the U.S. Open, is seeking to become the first woman since Serena Williams, who won three straight titles from 2012 to 2014, to complete a hat-trick of U.S. Open crowns.
Sabalenka Feeling Like Home
Her sustained success in the last Grand Slam of the season has helped to make the hard courts of Flushing Meadows a particularly comfortable setting.
“I just love New York and probably that makes me feel like home here,” Sabalenka said. “I would say probably out of all of them, maybe I’m more comfortable here.”
She will next face American Taylor Townsend or Russia’s Diana Shnaider, setting up the possibility of another test against an American backed by the home crowd or a rematch with Shnaider, who beat Sabalenka in the French Open quarter-finals.
Sabalenka said she was prepared for the prospect of a partisan crowd.
“It’s so obvious that they’re going to support her more than me and why should they cheer for me rather than for their player?” she said.
“Now I have a better understanding and accepting the fact that they’re going to cheer against me. I’m also pretty good with, like, shut down the noises from the outside.”
(With inputs from Reuters)
