Carlos Alcaraz continued his confident march through the US Open, defeating Italy’s Luciano Darderi 6-2, 6-4, 6-0 to reach the fourth round. The five-time Major champion controlled the match from start to finish, unleashing explosive groundstrokes, primarily with his forehand, and showcasing his creativity at the net. He sealed victory in just over an hour and a half.
Knee scare in the second set
Coming into the match in what appeared to be the best form of his career on this surface, Alcaraz picked up where he left off, winning the first three games in a set that lasted just 28 minutes. The second set started in similar fashion, with Carlos breaking Darderi’s serve early, but after a brutal exchange that pushed both players to their physical limits, Alcaraz appeared to begin limping slightly.
Shortly afterward, Alcaraz called for the physio after seemingly tweaking his knee. He took a medical timeout but quickly returned to action. From that point on, he rattled off eight straight games to close out the contest. Even so, there were moments when he moved gingerly on that side, forcing him to adopt a full-out aggressive approach rather than settle into long rallies.
WHAT A SHOW ON ASHE! 🎩 pic.twitter.com/JPgZ1iLTlG
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 29, 2025
Afterward, Alcaraz downplayed the issue in his on-court interview: “I’m feeling good. Just a precaution… I felt something that wasn’t working good in the knee, but after five, six points it was gone. I asked for the physio just to take care because it was one set left, I had to be ready and feeling good physically. I’m not worried about it.”
All eyes now turn to his press conference and upcoming practices to see if the knee shows any lingering problems. The Spaniard will next face Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech in the fourth round, an opponent he defeated on these very grounds in 2021 and holds a 3-0 head-to-head record against.
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images
