US Open 2026: Carlos Alcaraz Wins Thrilling Match Against Jaime Faria

World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz Garfia secured a hard-fought victory over Portugal’s Jaime Faria to advance to the third round of the US Open 2026 at Flushing Meadows, New York, on Thursday. The Spaniard defeated Faria with a scoreline of 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 in a match that lasted two hours and 40 minutes at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Alcaraz, who had been out of action for four months due to a wrist injury, made his US Open debut this year after playing the Australian Open. He missed both the French Open and Wimbledon because of his injury. During an on-court interview, Alcaraz expressed his plans to take more breaks in the future to manage his workload and avoid injuries.

“I don’t want to have these breaks because of injuries,” said the 23-year-old Spaniard. “But I think it’s necessary for me to take some time off—maybe one or two months—to rest and recover.”

Alcaraz showed signs of rust in the first set against Faria, particularly during a missed break-point opportunity that kept him tied at 3-3. From there, Faria gained momentum and even broke Alcaraz’s serve to go up 4-3.

Despite the early setback, Alcaraz regrouped and dominated the second set with his powerful groundstrokes. He broke Faria three times in the second set to level the match. This strong play continued into the third and fourth sets, where Alcaraz secured key breaks to maintain control and close out the win.

Alcaraz acknowledged that frequent injuries among players are a result of the sport’s demanding schedule. “We’re seeing many players getting injured or tired because of how packed the calendar is,” he said. “If they don’t change things, this will only get worse.”

In the end, Alcaraz proved his resilience and skill, overcoming Faria to advance in the tournament while reflecting on the challenges of maintaining a rigorous tour schedule.