Carlos Alcaraz admits he made a ‘mistake’ in his US Open match with Jaime Faria despite winning
Carlos Alcaraz was forced to come from a set down to win his latest match at the US Open.
Alcaraz beat Roman Safiullin in straight sets in his first round match at the US Open this year, which was his first singles match in over four months after being sidelined with a right wrist injury.
However, the defending champion lost the first set of his comeback after Faria took the opener against Alcaraz in the second round.
Alcaraz fought back to beat Faria 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2, but he has now admitted a mistake he made during that first set which cost him.
Carlos Alcaraz suggests he was too impatient in the first set against Jaime Faria
Alcaraz was asked about his win over Faria in his post-match press conference, as he highlighted the difference of playing in the night session, compared to his first round that was during the day.
The 23-year-old then spoke about the missed break opportunity he had at 3-3 in the first set, before Alcaraz would get broken himself, as he admits the mistake he made during this stage of the match.
“The night session is a totally different world to the day session,” said Alcaraz. “The ball becomes bigger, it’s tougher to move the ball around.
“I had a break point and didn’t make it [in the first set] and after that I just wanted to play short points, which was a mistake for me. I needed to play long rallies, three, four, five shots and then go for it. I needed to build the point.
“So I would say that is why he got the break and the first set. After that I realised what I had to do. I needed to play with more passion and build the points a little bit more.
“I got an early break [in the second] which helped me a lot to play with more calm and thinking more clearly about everything. I would say that was the turning point.”
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Who is Carlos Alcaraz playing in the third round of the US Open?
Alcaraz is now back into the third round of the US Open, but he will not face a seeded opponent as would have been forecast.
Instead, world number 113 Yibing Wu will be Alcaraz’s opponent, having beaten Adam Walton and James Duckworth in back-to-back matches.
This will be a second meeting between Alcaraz and Wu, and their first since the 2024 Shanghai Masters.
Alcaraz won their last encounter in Shanghai, beating Wu 7-6(5), 6-3, something he will be hoping to repeat at the US Open.
The third round match between Alcaraz and Wu will take place on Friday, September 4.
