(Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail)
Carlos Alcaraz Cruises Past Reilly Opelka in US Open First Round
New York, August 26, 2025 – World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz overcame a tricky first-round test at the US Open, defeating Reilly Opelka 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 at Arthur Ashe Stadium in just two hours and five minutes.
The 2022 champion showed solid performance on both serve and return, defending all three break points and maintaining consistent pressure throughout the match. Opelka struggled to match Alcaraz’s pace, dropping 38% of his service points and conceding a break in each set.
Alcaraz fired 23 winners against 17 unforced errors, while Opelka stayed competitive with a 33-32 winner-to-error ratio, though it wasn’t enough to take a set. Early in the first set, Alcaraz broke in the fifth game and held strong to close out the set 6-4 after 36 minutes.
In the second set, Opelka served better and generated two break opportunities, but Alcaraz denied them and broke his rival at love in game 11. He then held serve to take the set 7-5, building a commanding two-set lead.
The third set saw Opelka fight back to lead 4-3, but a costly double fault in the ninth game handed Alcaraz the advantage. The Spaniard served for the match in game ten and sealed the victory with a forehand down the line winner, finishing the match 6-4 in the final set.
With this win, Alcaraz advances to the second round of the US Open, continuing his pursuit of another Grand Slam title.
