Carlos Alcaraz of Spain followed up his stunning victory over world No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas with a comeback victory over Peter Gojowczyk to reach the quarterfinals of the US Open.
The 18-year-old had to come back from a two-set deficit to win 5-7 6-1 5-7 6-2 6-0, becoming the youngest man in Open era history to reach the quarterfinals.
After defeating Frances Tiafoe in four sets on Sunday, Alcaraz will face another rising star, 21-year-old Félix Auger-Aliassime, for a spot in the semifinals.
“I’m super excited to be in my first second week in the grand slam, so it’s amazing for me,” Alcaraz said after the match. “It’s a dream come true.
“It’s really tough to play these kind of matches, to play fifth sets. I hope to play more second weeks, to play more quarterfinals of grand slams. I didn’t expect to play quarterfinals here. So I think it’s a really good performance from me in these matches.”
Alcaraz’s upset victory over Tsitsipas, which he won in a nail-biting fifth-set tie break, capped off an incredible breakout season for the youngster.
In July, Alcaraz won his first ATP Tour title, defeating Richard Gasquet in the Croatian Open final, and he also advanced to the third round of the French Open.
On the women’s side of the draw, teenagers are continuing to dominate the US Open, as Leylah Fernandez, who turns 19 on Monday, came back from a set down to defeat former US Open champion Angelique Kerber 4-6 7-6 6-2.
The Canadian teenager had already pulled off the biggest upset of the tournament by defeating defending champion Naomi Osaka in the previous round, but she followed that up with another stunning display.
Fernandez will now face Elina Svitolina for a spot in the semifinals, having never advanced past the third round of a grand slam before.
“I did have to pinch myself a little bit to see that it actually happened, but I knew that my tennis, my level of tennis is there,” she said after the match.
“It’s just a matter of time and opportunity, and I’m glad I was able to get this chance now and show what I’m capable of in front of these players. Even if I had lost, I would have been proud of the way I had played and fought. I was lucky enough to get the win today and just get this experience. It’s my first quarterfinals in a grand slam. I’m just going to enjoy it at 100% and tomorrow is going to be a new day.”
Another teenager could join Alcaraz and Fernandez in the quarterfinals, with Emma Raducanu, 18, of the United Kingdom, set to face Shelby Rogers in the last 16 on Monday.
Raducanu made her name at Wimbledon earlier this year, reaching the fourth round, and she’ll be looking to improve on that performance at Flushing Meadows.
