The debate over the quality of players at the top of the men’s game has been raging for some time and if Carlos Alcaraz wins the US Open, the discussion will be reopened once again.
Plenty of high-profile ex-players and tennis observers suggested Alcaraz was taking a big chance when he used the final Grand Slam of 2026 to make his comeback to the sport after over four months away with a wrist injury.
Alcaraz openly admitted he didn’t know how he would perform when he stepped on court at Flushing Meadows, but he has cruised through his first three rounds with comfortable victories against Roman Safiullin, Jaime Faria and Wu Yibing.
He has only dropped one set in those three matches and has looked impressive as he has moved through the gears ahead of his next match against Tommy Paul.
That is likely to be a bigger test of Alcaraz’s credentials, but he is looking like a strong contender to defend the US Open title he won in thrilling fashion a year ago and if he is holding the trophy once again on Sunday, plenty of top 10-ranked players will be wondering whether they can ever get to the levels Alcaraz can touch.
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This feels like a huge opportunity for French Open champion Alexander Zverev and American big-hitters Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz to win their first US Open crowns, with Alcaraz effectively using this event as a high-profile fitness test in his comeback push.
Yet that trio of contenders will be fearing Alcaraz is quickly getting back to his best and if he gets himself through to the final, he will be firing on all cylinders.
The true greats of any sport separate themselves from the chasing pack and that is certainly what Alcaraz and Sinner have done in tennis, but there was a real opportunity for Safiullin, Faria and Wu to push the Spaniard in his opening three matches and they have not even got close.
Belief is crucial in any sport and Alcaraz carries an aura onto the court with him that crushes the belief of most opponents, but that confidence was not in place at the start of this event as the world No 3 admitted he had low expectations coming into this year’s US Open.
“After four months without competing and without any matches, when you go out there and compete, you are dealing with nerves and everything,” he said after his win against Wu.
“When you come back, after a match your body can feel really tired, but it didn’t happen to me. I have felt better and better after every match.
“It feels like I have been competing the whole time. It has surprised myself. I’m just really happy about it.
“My expectation coming her was just to see how this is going to be, but I’m happy with everything that’s going on right now.”
Alcaraz may be about to make the rest of the men’s game look second rate in comparison to him once again and if he wins this Grand Slam title after coming back from such a serious wrist problem, it might be the most remarkable major title of his career so far.
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