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Carlos Alcaraz broke new ground in the early hours of Thursday morning when he edged Jannik Sinner in a five-set thriller to reach his first Grand Slam semi-final. Under the lights on Arthur Ashe Stadium, the Spaniard saved one match point en route to a historic victory.

“I feel great to be in my first semi-final in a Grand Slam,” Alcaraz said in his post-match press conference. “I feel better reaching a semi-final here [at the] US Open. This tournament is amazing. The crowd is amazing, I would say the best in the world.”

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In an epic clash between two former Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals champions that finished at 2:50 a.m. local time, it was the 19-year-old Alcaraz who prevailed after five hours and 15 minutes. The match broke the record for the latest finish in tournament history and was the second-longest clash in US Open history.

“Probably at the end of the match, I was [at] my end. It was really, really tough for me,” Alcaraz said. “[But], during the whole match, five hours, 15 minutes of the match, I felt great physically. The level of tennis that we played, it was really, really high. But I felt great.

Nobody will soon forget the epic US Open quarter-final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. In a classic encounter that shattered the record for latest finish in tournament history when play ended at 2:50 a.m., Alcaraz outlasted Sinner 6-3, 6-7(7), 6-7(0), 7-5, 6-3, saving one match point in the fourth set en route to his five-hour, 15-minute triumph. The battle was the second-longest match in US Open history.

The Spaniard saved match point at 4-5 in the fourth set and rallied to maintain his hopes of becoming the youngest World No. 1 in the history of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings next Monday. The 19-year-old, who with the win qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time, will face American Frances Tiafoe on Friday in the semi-finals. 

"Honestly, I still don't know how I did it," Alcaraz said. "You have to believe in yourself. I believed in my game.

"It was really difficult to close out the match. I tried to stay calm, but it is difficult in the moment."

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Carlos Alcaraz on Wednesday became the second player to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals, joining fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal. The 19-year-old will compete in the season finale, to be played from 13-20 November in Turin, for the first time. He is the you

Alcaraz clinched his place at the year-end championships when he defeated Jannik Sinner in the US Open quarter-finals. He will play in the Nitto ATP Finals one year after triumphing at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan. Alcaraz is the youngest player to qualify for the event since Nadal was a 19-year-old in 2005 (he did not play).

The Spanish teen is second in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin. However, he has an opportunity to leave Flushing Meadows as the youngest World No. 1 in the history of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. Alcaraz can achieve the feat by lifting his first major trophy or if he reaches the final and Casper Ruud does not.

After triumphing in Milan last year, Alcaraz has taken his level to new heights in 2022. The pupil of former World No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero has rewritten the record books this season, becoming the third-youngest ATP Masters 1000 titlist in the series’ history (since 1990) in Miami. The teen followed that up with a second Masters 1000 victory in Madrid, where he became the first player to beat Nadal and Novak Djokovic at the same clay-court event.

Alcaraz also became the youngest ATP 500 champion in history in Rio de Janeiro, and lifted another ATP 500 trophy in Barcelona. By advancing to the US Open semi-finals, the Spaniard improved his record on the season to 49-9.

For some time, there was competition between Casper Ruud and his father, Christian Ruud. Casper had plenty of marks to surpass as a professional tennis player in order to 'beat' his father. It was competition in good fun, but competition nonetheless.

Christian won 115 tour-level matches and climbed as high as No. 39 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, both of which are impressive achievements. Their 'rivalry' did not last long, though.

Over the past few years, Casper has stormed past those benchmarks. Now into the semi-finals of the US Open, a maiden major trophy and World No. 1 are both within his grasp.

“We are just trying to take one match at a time. It's still far away, I think,” Christian said. “But of course it's nice that it's possible, and Casper has a little bit of motivation with that in mind, because even when he was small, his ultimate goal was to be No. 1 in the world.”

Christian has been there to help guide Casper every step of the way. With the exception of two-and-a-half years as a teen — during which Pedro Rico led the way — Christian has coached Casper, and still does today.

Frances Tiafoe delivered a stunning all-around display to take down ninth seed Andrey Rublev on Wednesday at the US Open, where a combination of brutal groundstrokes, impeccable serving and delicate net play earned the American a 7-6(3), 7-6(0), 6-4 quarter-final victory.

Seeking to back up his thrilling four-set win against Rafael Nadal in the fourth round, Tiafoe expertly channelled the support of an ecstatic home crowd under a closed Arthur Ashe Stadium roof in rainy New York. The American’s confidence was most evident when he reeled off seven unanswered points in a row in a flawless second-set tie-break showing, but Tiafoe’s level rarely dropped as he closed out a two-hour, 35-minute triumph to charge to his maiden Grand Slam semi-final in style in New York.

“This is wild. This is crazy,” said Tiafoe in his on-court interview. “I had the biggest win of my life 24 hours ago and coming out and getting another big win… Andrey’s a hell of a player, and to back it up, that’s huge. It’s tough to turn the page, but I did and now I’m in the semis.

“I feel so at home on courts like this. This court is unbelievable. [The crowd] gets so far behind me, I want to play, I want to give my best. I always find a way somehow on this court, I always play some great tennis and I have been. Let’s enjoy this, we’ve got two more.”

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The disappointment of US Open defeat to Karen Khachanov shone through for Nick Kyrgios in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Despite adding a maiden quarter-final appearance in New York to his impressive list of achievements in recent months, the Australian’s desire to go deeper in the draw made it hard for him to take positives from his five-set loss.

“I feel like I've let so many people down,” said Kyrgios, who was seeking to back up his run to his maiden major final at Wimbledon in July. “It's just devastating. Like, it's heartbreaking. Not just for me, but for everyone that I know that wants me to win.”

Kyrgios fired 31 aces and battled for three hours, 39 minutes against Khachanov inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, but he felt a slow start had cost him dear as the 27th seed outlasted the Australian to reach his maiden Grand Slam semi-final.

“[I] just came out flat,” said Kyrgios. “Physically didn't feel great. Then I ended up feeling great towards the end of the match.

"I'm obviously devastated. But all credit to Karen. He's a fighter. He's a warrior. I thought he served really good today. Honestly probably the best server I played this tournament, to be honest, the way he was hitting his spots under pressure.”

Karen Khachanov has edged Nick Kyrgios in a big-serving battle in the early hours of Wednesday morning to charge into the first Grand Slam semi-final of his career at the US Open.

In a match devoid of atmosphere in the first half and overflowing with electricity in the second half, the 27th seed withstood 31 aces and vocal crowd support for his opponent en route to a 7-5, 4-6, 7-5 6-7(3) 6-4 win in three hours, 39 minutes after earlier coming within two points of victory in the fourth set.

Khachanov, who fired 30 aces himself, advances to play Norway’s Casper Ruud, who has the opportunity to finish the tournament at No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

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"I did it! I did it!," Khachanov said. "I'm really proud of myself, I was focussed from the beginning to the end.

Jannik Sinner is one of the brightest young talents in recent memory. The Italian, who turned 21 last month, has already triumphed at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals, competed in the Nitto ATP Finals, lifted six tour-level trophies and cracked the Top 10 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

Do not tell him about his accomplishments, though. According to Sinner, this is just the beginning, which is a scary thought for his colleagues on the ATP Tour.

“I know already what I have in my game, so I try to stay confident with that, but also humble because at the end of the day I didn’t win basically nothing or for sure no important matches,” Sinner told ATPTour.com. “It’s all part of the process. I don’t want to rush myself, but I think I can be proud of what I am doing, so hopefully I keep this up.”

For Sinner, this is not about rushing to lift a particular trophy or defeating a particular opponent. From a young age, he has had lofty ambitions. On Wednesday, he will play Carlos Alcaraz in the US Open quarter-finals. But just three years ago, he was a qualifier who spoke to the media in a small cubicle inside the media centre at Flushing Meadows.

“I want to be the best player not only in Italy,” Sinner said that day. “But maybe once I can say that I’m the best player in the world.”

The growing #NextGenATP rivalry between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner arrives in New York on Wednesday, when two of the sport’s biggest young talents meet for a third tour-level meeting of the season in the quarter-finals of the US Open.

The last American in the draw, Frances Tiafoe, will attempt to back up his stunning fourth-round win over Rafael Nadal when he faces Andrey Rublev, as all four quarter-finalists in the bottom half of the draw bid to reach the last four of a Grand Slam for the first time.

ATPTour.com previews the quarter-final action on Day 10 at Flushing Meadows.

View Schedule | View Singles Draw | View Doubles Draw

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Defending champions Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury overcame fierce resistance from Hugo Nys and Jan Zielinski on Tuesday to complete a 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-4 quarter-final victory and maintain their push for back-to-back titles at the US Open in New York.

The top-seeded American-British pair let slip four match points at 5-4 in the second set as Nys and Zielinski rallied to clinch the second-set tie-break and force a decider on Louis Armstrong Stadium. Ram and Salisbury, who are chasing their third Grand Slam crown this fortnight at Flushing Meadows, responded by sealing a decisive break in the opening game of the third set, going on to wrap a two-hour, 34-minute triumph.

Ram and Salisbury, who have lifted ATP Masters 1000 trophies in Cincinnati and Monte Carlo this season, will next face 11th seeds Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara or 2019 champions Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah in New York.

unstoppable force meet immovable object pic.twitter.com/ZntPUCN2M6

Second seeds Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski enjoyed a smoother passage to the semi-finals, easing past Marcelo Demoliner and Joao Sousa 6-3, 6-1 in just 63 minutes.

Casper Ruud was bidding to reach his maiden US Open semi-final and fighting to keep his World No. 1 hopes alive on Tuesday in New York. Yet the Norwegian showed no signs of pressure in dismissing 13th seed Matteo Berrettini with a statement 6-1, 6-4, 7-6(4) quarter-final victory at Flushing Meadows.

Ruud was ruthless on return as he made a dream start on Arthur Ashe Stadium, where he surged to a 6-1, 5-1 lead by frequently cutting through Berrettini’s defences with some sublime clean hitting from the baseline. Although the Italian recovered from a wayward start to find his feet and break Ruud’s serve early in the third set, the Norwegian’s heavy forehand and tenacity around the court proved decisive as he rallied to dominate the third-set tie-break and wrap a two-hour, 35-minute win.

“That was a better start than I think I ever had before in a match,” said Ruud, who had not been past the third round in New York prior to this year. “Everything was going my way, I was hitting all the spots I needed to plus Matteo maybe didn’t serve as well as he usually does. I was able to take care of the chances that I got.

“I got a little bit nervous towards the end of the second set, because things were almost going too well. It’s good, but sometimes you can get over-excited and start to think you can walk on water… So I had to calm down a little bit, and luckily was able to serve out the second set, and the third set was very tough.”

Ruud will take on Nick Kyrgios or Karen Khachanov in the semi-finals.

Carlos Alcaraz continued his march towards becoming the youngest World No. 1 in Pepperstone ATP Rankings in the early hours of Tuesday morning, when he clawed past 2014 champion Marin Cilic in the fourth round of the US Open.

Alcaraz outlasted the former World No. 3 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows for the second consecutive year. The match ended at 2:23 a.m., marking the fourth-latest finish in tournament history.

“Honestly, I have no idea,” Alcaraz said of how he won the match. “It was pretty, pretty tough at the beginning of the fifth set [being a] break down. But Marin was playing unbelievable. I believe in myself all the time. Of course the support today in Arthur Ashe [Stadium] was crazy. Without you guys, it wouldn’t be possible to win this match tonight, so thank you very much for the support tonight, thank you.

“I would say 100 per cent of the energy I put in the fifth set was thanks to you. It was unbelievable.”

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Jannik Sinner advanced to the US Open quarter-finals Monday night but will be looking to retool his game before continuing his quest for a maiden Grand Slam title.

The 21-year-old Italian had a difficult night on serve in a rollercoaster five-set win over Ilya Ivashka, throwing in 14 double faults and putting just 46 per cent of first serves into play. Seven double faults alone in the second set (among 22 unforced errors) unexpectedly cost Sinner the set when he appeared to be cruising to a routine victory leading by a set and 4-2.

Ultimately the former Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals champion had to rally from 1-3 in the fifth set to close out the win 6-1, 5-7, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 and become the youngest player since Novak Djokovic (20, in 2007-08) to complete a set of quarter-final appearances at all four Grand Slams.

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But if Sinner is to reach his first major semi-final, he will need to sharpen his game ahead of a meeting with third seed Carlos Alcaraz or 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic.

Casper Ruud takes on Matteo Berrettini as the US Open quarter-final action kicks off on Tuesday in New York, where the Norwegian seeks to maintain his challenge for the No. 1 spot in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

Nick Kyrgios and Karen Khachanov also meet in the last eight at the hard-court Grand Slam. The Australian is looking to back up his stunning fourth-round triumph against 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev.

ATPTour.com previews the quarter-final action on Day 9 at Flushing Meadows.

View Schedule | View Singles Draw | View Doubles Draw

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Frances Tiafoe earned the biggest victory of his career on Monday against Rafael Nadal at the US Open. The thrilling moment became even more surreal when he returned to the locker room.

The American learned that NBA legend LeBron James had tweeted about his big win. That was huge considering Tiafoe has used James’ ‘Silencer’ celebration in the past.

“CONGRATS Young King!!! You earned it! @FTiafoe,” James tweeted, before following up with another tweet. “KEEP GOING!!!!! #StriveForGreatness”

CONGRATS Young King!!! You earned it! @FTiafoe ??✊??? https://t.co/QQ0Jn7Lotp

“Man, I was losing it in the locker room. Bro, I was going crazy,” Tiafoe said, cracking a smile. “That's my guy. So to see him post that, I was like, ‘Do I retweet it as soon as he sent it?’ I was like, ‘You know what, I'm going to be cool and act like I didn't see it and then retweet it three hours later.’

Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski moved to within three wins of capturing their first Grand Slam title and seventh tour-level crown of the season together Monday, edging Australians Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell 7-6(5), 3-6, 6-3 at the US Open.

The second seeds, who became the first team to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals last week, raised their level in the key moments throughout their two-hour, 29-minute third-round win against the Wimbledon champions, breaking twice to advance.

The Dutch-British tandem will play Marcelo Demoliner and Joao Sousa in the quarter-finals after the Brazilian-Portuguese team downed Italians Lorenzo Sonego and Andrea Vavassori 7-6(4), 6-4.

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With the pressure on, Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara stepped up and delivered, clawing past Australian Open champions Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios 3-6, 7-6(6), 7-6(10-7) in two hours and 10 minutes.

Rafael Nadal suffered a tough fourth-round exit at the US Open on Monday against American Frances Tiafoe. The 22-time major champion was clear that there are no excuses. Tiafoe was simply the better player on the day.

“We can make lamentations or we can complain now about a lot of things, but I don't think that [is] going to change any situation,” Nadal said. “We can think, if I [didn’t] get injured, maybe I win Wimbledon. Maybe I win [other] things [in] the past. Or maybe I lost [other] things because I was not able to create this interior power after all that injuries.

“That's part of my career. A lot of times went the proper way; sometimes completely unexpected like Australia, like Roland Garros.Of course, this was not the ideal preparation for me. But in other cases went the right way, even with not the perfect preparation. We can't find excuses. We need to be enough critical with myself. That's the only way to improve or that's the only way that I understand you are able to find solutions.”

Tiafoe played a clean, aggressive match in which he took the action to Nadal. The American hit 49 winners compared to just 28 unforced errors to reach his first quarter-final at Flushing Meadows. Nadal was unable to find a solution inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“The difference is easy: I played a bad match and he played a good match. At the end that's it,” Nadal said. “I was not able to hold a high level of tennis for a long time. I was not enough quick on my movements. He was able to take the ball too many times very early, so I was not able to push him back.

Dear Arthur,

I did not have much growing up. My parents are both immigrants from Sierra Leone. My dad was a janitor at a tennis facility in Maryland, and I was lucky to be around the sport from a young age, even if I did not have the money or opportunities a lot of other kids did. None of that stopped me from dreaming big. I pushed myself to the limit every day with a big smile on my face.

Here I am, 22 years old, and I just found out that I won the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award. That little kid with big dreams now has his name associated with yours. That is insane.

But I know this is not just an award. It is a tremendous honor and a massive responsibility. I am not just that smiley kid on the rise anymore. I know I need to carry the torch and make a difference in the world.

This year my girlfriend and I made a video called, “Racquets Down, Hands Up” to try to spread awareness about unjust deaths of African-Americans in the United States. We were able to get a lot of Black tennis players involved, from Serena Williams and Coco Gauff to Gael Monfils and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Rafael Nadal’s fourth-round US Open loss has opened the door for Carlos Alcaraz or Casper Ruud to leave New York as the No. 1 player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

Alcaraz or Ruud must make the final to have a chance of reaching the pinnacle of men’s tennis. If neither does so, Nadal will return to World No. 1. If Alcaraz and Ruud meet in the championship match, the winner will take home the trophy and the top spot.

The tournament began with five players battling for World No. 1: Nadal, Alcaraz, Ruud, Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas. Nadal, Medvedev and Tsitsipas failed to reach the quarter-finals. Alcaraz faces Marin Cilic in the fourth round on Monday evening.

Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings Round By Round

Alcaraz and Ruud both have an opportunity to make history at Flushing Meadows.

American Frances Tiafoe stunned four-time champion Rafael Nadal 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 on Monday at the US Open to reach his second Grand Slam quarter-final.

The pumped-up 24-year-old played fearlessly throughout the three-hour, 31-minute thriller on Arthur Ashe Stadium to earn his third Top 5 win. Tiafoe hammered the ball off both wings and rallied from a break down in the fourth set to become the first American man to reach the last eight in New York since John Isner in 2018 and the youngest to accomplish the feat since Andy Roddick in 2006.

"I'm beyond happy, almost in tears, I can't believe it," Tiafoe said in his on-court interview. "I played unbelievable tennis today. I really don't know what happened."

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Tiafoe had never won a set against Nadal and trailed the Spaniard 0-2 in their ATP Head2Head series prior to their meeting in New York. However, the American struck 49 winners to turn the tables in style, gaining revenge for his quarter-final defeat at the Australian Open in 2019.