Alcaraz Cruises Into US Open Semifinals, Masters Lehecka

Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz (photo: Jürgen Hasenkopf)

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON, September 3, 2025 (by Michael Dickens)

World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz advanced to this year’s US Open quarterfinal round without dropping a set for the first time in his career. On Tuesday afternoon, he took on World No. 21 Jiri Lehecka, one of four players from Czechia who reached the last eight in men’s and women’s singles, on a beautiful late-summer afternoon in Flushing Meadows. It was the third time they’ve met in 2025 – and Alcaraz’s 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 victory in one hour and 56 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium produced his second win over Lehecka this season, as well as his 59th triumph of the year. It advanced Alcaraz to his second US Open semifinal in three years.

Alcaraz’s latest triumph, accomplished with equal parts focus, flash and dominance – and with fellow Spaniard and 2017 Masters pro golf champion Sergio Garcia watching and applauding Alcaraz’s dazzling performance from the sidelines – moved him a round closer to winning his second US Open title, seventh trophy of the season and sixth major crown of his career.

While Alcaraz reached his first major semifinal on hard courts since his run to the 2023 US Open title – and extended his current winning streak to 11, longest on the ATP Tour – the 22-year-old Spaniard star also became the fifth man in the Open Era to reach nine Grand Slam semifinals before turning 23 years old. 

Although Lehecka looked to record the biggest win of his career – and to advance to his first Grand Slam semifinal – there was little he could do to contain Alcaraz, who played superbly. The good news for Lehecka (34-18 in 2025) is this: he guaranteed himself a place inside the Top 20 for the first time after the US Open next week after rising to World No. 15 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings – and will overtake Jakob Mensik as the new Czech No. 1.

“I kind of met the Grand Slam version of Carlos,” Lehecka said during his post-match news conference. “He just showed that he is one of the contenders, for sure. Everyone knew that, and he proved that.”

Indeed, Alcaraz proved himself as a worthy contender for the US Open title. He held his serve in all 14 of his service games – facing no break points from Lehecka – and won all but 14 points (57 of 71, 70 percent) on his serve the entire afternoon en route to reaching his third straight major semifinal and the ninth Grand Slam semifinal of his career. Alcaraz struck 28 winners, made only 17 unforced errors and converted four of nine break points. He outpointed Lehecka 92-65. The Czech star countered with 16 winners and committed 23 unforced errors but it was far too little to overcome Alcaraz on this day.

With the World No. 1 ranking position still in play this week, if Alcaraz can match or better defending champion and current No. 1 Jannik Sinner‘s result in New York, he will rise to World No. 1 for the first time since September 2023.

“If I think about the No. 1 spot too much, I’m going to put pressure on myself, and I just don’t want to do that,” Alcaraz said during his on-court interview with ESPN‘s Sam Querrey. “I just want to step on court, try to do my things, follow my goals and try to enjoy as much as I can. The No. 1 [position] is there, but I try to not think about it too much.”

On Friday, Alcaraz will face four-time US Open champion and seventh seed Novak Djokovic of Serbia, who earned his 11th straight victory over World No. 4 and last year’s finalist Taylor Fritz of the United States, 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, in three hours and 24 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium Tuesday night.

Djokovic, 38, who is in search of winning his 25th Grand Slam title, is through to his 53rd career Grand Slam semifinal – including 14 at the US Open, tying him with Jimmy Connors – while Fritz came up short in becoming the first American man to reach back-to-back US Open semifinals since Andre Agassi in 2002-03. 

“Incredibly close match,” Djokovic said during on-court interview. “It was really anybody’s match. I thought I was lucky to save some crucial break points in the second set. I think for most of the second and third set, he was a better player. In these kind of matches, a few points decide the winner.”

Djokovic struck 33 winners – including 10 aces – to 40 unforced errors, compared to 46 winners and 12 aces for Fritz. A telling stat was Fritz’s inability to convert break-point opportunities. He missed on his first nine break-point chances against Djokovic and finished 2-for-13 for the evening. Meanwhile, Djokovic broke Fritz’s serve four times in nine tries. He outpointed his opponent 130-126.

Djokovic leads his career head-to-head against Alcaraz 5-3, including wins in their two most recent matches – last January in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open and last year in the gold medal match at the Paris Olympics. It will be their first meeting at the US Open.

From Czech mates to Czech-ed out

• Coming into the quarterfinal round of men’s and women’s singles, Czechia boasted a total of four players left – Jiri Lehecka, Barbora Krejcikova, Karolina Muchova and Marketa Vondrousova. That’s one more than the Americans – Taylor Fritz, Jessica Pegula and Amanda Anisimova – and two more than Italy, with Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti.

Before Lehecka battled against and ultimately lost to World No. 2 and 2023 US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz, Krejcikova was also in action on Arthur Ashe Stadium Tuesday.

The 62nd-ranked Krejcikova, a two-time major champion, took on her third-straight American opponent in World No. 4 Pegula, after defeating No. 10 seed Emma Navarro in the third round – after being down 0-3 in the third set – and 139th-ranked Taylor Townsend in the fourth round, in which she saved eight match points during the second set.

However, Krejcikova’s luck ran out against Pegula, who advanced to her second-straight US Open semifinal without dropping a set. Last year’s finalist Pegula won 6-3, 6-3 in one hour and 26 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium and put away the quarterfinal win on her first match-point opportunity for her 42nd victory of the season.

The fourth-seeded Pegula, 31, in her ninth US Open main-draw appearance, outpointed Krejcikova 69-51. She hit 17 winners, converted five of nine break points and took advantage of 24 unforced errors by the 29-year-old Czech.

“I think I’ve been playing some really good tennis,” Pegula said in her on-court interview. “I’ve just been playing really solid. I’ve been having some very good, quick starts, and I really wanted to do that today, especially against someone like her who’s very dangerous. Even at the end there, it got really tight. She had a couple really good returns when I was serving at 4-1, and we all saw what she did against Taylor. … So, yeah, I was happy that we’re done.”

Asked what has made her such a formidable player on Arthur Ashe Stadium, Pegula replied: “I don’t know, I just feel like I’m really comfortable. I’m really comfortable coming out here and playing on a big court – big matches on the best court in the world, with a crazy crowd against the best players. It’s something that 10 years ago I never thought I would be good at this. I guess I am.”

Krejcikova took her defeat in stride, saying of Pegula: “She didn’t really miss that many, and she was playing quite good tennis. I wish I did better but just today wasn’t the day.”

• Meanwhile, Vondrousova, who won the 2023 Wimbledon title, withdrew from her quarterfinal against World No. 1 and defending US Open champion Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus after injuring her left knee during practice Tuesday afternoon. Sabalenka received a walkover into the semifinals and will face Pegula on Thursday in a rematch of last year’s US Open final.

The 60th-ranked Vondrousova, who battled shoulder injuries earlier this season, had reached the last eight after securing a pair of impressive victories over No. 7 seed Jasmine Paolini of Italy and No. 9 seed Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, both Top-10 players.

“So sorry for Marketa after all she’s been through,” Sabalenka wrote on Instagram. “She has been playing amazing tennis and I know how badly this must hurt for her. Take care of yourself and I hope you can recover quickly.”

In a statement, Vondrousova said: “I am sorry to announce that I have to withdraw from my quarterfinal match this evening due to a knee injury. I tried my best to take the court today, but during the warm-up I felt again my knee, and after consultation with the tournament doctor decided not to risk aggravating the injury.

“I appreciate all the support this tournament and apologize to the fans who were looking forward to the match. I had an amazing time here in New York and can’t wait to be back next year.” 

• On Wednesday evening, the last Czech standing, 11th-seeded Muchova, will face No. 23 seed Naomi Osaka on Arthur Ashe Stadium. The winner will play either No. 2 seed Iga Swiatek of Poland or No. 8 seed Amanda Anisimova of the United States in Thursday’s semifinals round.

Around the US Open

• The Cinderella doubles run of American living legend and 14-time major doubles champion Venus Williams, 45, and 22-year-old Leylah Fernandez of Canada, who received a wild card into the main draw, ended Tuesday afternoon in the quarterfinals. They lost to the No. 1 seeds Katerina Siniakova of Czechia and Taylor Townsend of the United States, 6-1, 6-2, in 56 minutes on Louis Armstrong Stadium.

Siniakova and Townsend combined to win 88 percent (22 of 25) of their first-serve points, dropping just three points. They also won 57 percent (26 of 46) of their receiving points. By hitting 19 winners and making just three unforced errors, the Czech/American pair outpointed Williams and Fernandez 54-26. 

In Wednesday’s semifinals, Siniakova and Townsend will play No. 4 seeds Veronika Kudermetova of Russia and Elise Mertens of Belgium, who advanced over No. 5 seeds Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider of Russia, 6-4, 6-2.

The other semifinal will match No. 2 seeds Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini of Italy against No. 3 seeds Gabriela Dabrowski of Canada and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand. 

Errani and Paolini fought off No. 7 seeds Asia Muhammad of the United States and Demi Schuurs of the Netherlands, 6-1, 7-6 (5), while Dabrowski and Routliffe rallied to defeat No. 11 seeds Timea Babos of Hungary and Luisa Stefani of Brazil, 0-6, 6-4, 6-4.

• In the third round of men’s doubles, No. 4 seeds Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz of Germany fell to No. 14 seeds Yuki Bhambri of India and Michael Venus of New Zealand, 6-4, 6-4. Also, German duo Jakob Schnaitter and Mark Wallner lost to No. 15 Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul of France, 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-3. 

Tuesday’s US Open results

Wednesday’s US Open order of play

By the numbers

• With both Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti winning their respective fourth-round matches on Monday, it marks the first time that multiple Italian men have reached the quarterfinals of all four Grand Slam events in a single season (Australian Open – Sinner, Sonego; Roland-Garros – Musetti, Sinner; Wimbledon – Cobolli, Sinner). Only Australians, Spaniards and Americans previously have achieved this feat in men’s singles in Open Era. 

• With his fifth consecutive straight-set victory of this US Open, Carlos Alcaraz, 22, is the youngest man to reach a Grand Slam semifinal without dropping a set since Rafael Nadal in 2008.

“Quotable …”

“That was so good, it’s crazy! I’m not bad, but what is that? You’re the GOAT.”

– Alexander Bublik to Jannik Sinner as they walked off the court together at Arthur Ashe Stadium Monday evening, after Sinner defeated Bublik, 6-1, 6-1, 6-1, in one hour and 21 minutes – the shortest completed men’s match at the this year’s US Open.

 

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