US Open: Alcaraz gets serious and sweeps past Tommy Paul to reach the quarterfinals, while Sabalenka holds onto the No. 1 spot

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz made a serious statement of intent at the US Open on Sunday, steamrolling American Tommy Paul—one of his favorite opponents, a formidable rival and a legitimate test of his true level—to advance to the tournament's quarterfinals. On the women's side, Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka once again showed she will fight tooth and nail to hold onto the world No. 1 ranking.

Alcaraz dominated American Tommy Paul on center court—the first ATP Top 25 opponent he has faced since returning from his wrist injury. The world No. 3 dispatched the American (No. 21) 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 with a game that continues to improve despite the more than four months of inactivity he faced upon arriving in New York.

Alcaraz, who has swept aside Paul in their last six meetings, capped off his masterclass with a massive cross-court forehand that left actor Matthew McConaughey in the stands speechless.

At just 23 years old, Alcaraz has made five appearances in the quarterfinals of this Grand Slam, where he is the clear favorite in the absence of Jannik Sinner and due to the poor performance of Germany's Alexander Zverev, the top seed.

Alcaraz at "full power" to face local No. 1 Shelton

"I managed to play my game; I tried to play my style," said the Spaniard, before being asked if he had already regained his "full power." "I think so," he replied with a smile. "There are many things I can improve on," he later clarified to the press. "I had to be hard on myself, telling myself over and over again that my serves could be better. But I'm happy and I'm going to enjoy this moment," Carlitos emphasized.

After four smooth rounds, Alcaraz must pass his first major test against Shelton, the recent champion of the Canada Masters 1000. The No. 1 American tennis player dispatched Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 in less than two hours.

Shelton needed a convincing performance before facing the extraordinary challenge of defeating Alcaraz on Tuesday. The Spaniard has not only beaten Shelton in their three previous matchups but also has a perfect 13-0 record against American players in Grand Slams.

"The level at which he's played is truly impressive," Shelton said of the Spaniard. "After not competing for five months, what he's done so far in this tournament has been superhuman." "Tuesday night is going to be a firework show, and I hope you all come back, because I'm ready," he said.

American prospect Michelsen continues to amaze: he hasn't dropped a set in the tournament

Off the two main courts, Argentine Tomás Etcheverry's run came to an end at the hands of Alex Michelsen.

The American prospect won 7-6 (8/6), 6-4, and 6-4 in a match where the Argentine never recovered from the blow of facing two set points in the first set.

Michelsen, the only player who has not dropped a set, will face his compatriot Frances Tiafoe in the quarterfinals, who also quickly defeated seventh-seeded Russian Daniil Medvedev, 7-6 (7/1), 6-4, and 7-6 (8/6).

Sabalenka digs in to defend No. 1 ranking

Aryna Sabalenka also continues to dominate in New York, where she reached the quarterfinals for the sixth consecutive year. This Sunday, the world No. 1 neutralized the threat posed by American Taylor Townsend (No. 46 in the WTA rankings), one of the most popular players among US Open fans.

Although she struggled to hold her serve, she sealed the match 6-4, 6-3 and remains undefeated in sets on her path to a third consecutive title. "I love matches like this; they're a real challenge. Going through difficult situations and overcoming them gives you strength and a strong conviction that you can do it," she remarked.

In New York, where she has suffered only one loss in 24 matches played since 2023, Sabalenka is also trying to retain her WTA No. 1 ranking, although that does not depend entirely on her. Kazakhstani Elena Rybakina can automatically unseat her simply by advancing to the semifinals, and if she fails to do so, Americans Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula would also be contenders.

Wimbledon champion Noskova: a tough test for Sabalenka in the quarterfinals

In the quarterfinals, Sabalenka will face the Czech Linda Noskova, who won Wimbledon just two months ago. The world No. 6 will make her US Open quarterfinal debut after defeating Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk (No. 11), whom she had already beaten in the Wimbledon semifinals.

Noskova, who survived five match points, overcame Kostyuk's resistance in an intense and hard-fought match, cheered on loudly by the crowd, winning 7-5, 5-7, and 6-4.

Pegula positions herself for the No. 1 spot should Rybakina and Sabalenka fall short

Later that night, Jessica Pegula asserted her dominance over Romania's Sorana Cirstea, winning 6-3, 6-4, and remains on track to reach her second final, following her loss to Sabalenka in 2024.

Her opponent in the quarterfinals will be her compatriot Emma Navarro, who defeated Russia's Anna Kalinskaya 6-4, 6-2.