New York (AFP) – The title holders in New York Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz joined the third round of the US Open on Wednesday, one faster than the other, while the great hope Rafael Jodar imploded for his entry into the running.

Published on: 03/09/2026 - 07:31

Sabalenka expeditious, Pegula on the hunt

It only took 53 minutes for world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka to correct the Russian Polina Iatcenko (160th), beaten in two quick sets 6-1, 6-1.

The boss of the circuit, weaned from titles since her resounding Indian Wells-Miami double in March, was expeditious on the Arthur-Ashe court, completing the first round in barely 24 minutes.

During this sequence, she only lost one point on her first ball and three on the second.

The 29-year-old Belarusian started the second set at the same pace, still dropping a throw-in at 3-1, before resuming her march forward to conclude the match in less than an hour flat.

“I am happy with my current level. I had some difficulties mid-season but I worked a lot,” Sabalenka explained at a press conference.

The first player scheduled for Wednesday at Central, Jessica Pegula put pressure on Sabalenka's shoulders by easily winning the match against Sofia Kenin (110th), beaten 6-3, 6-1.

At 32, Pegula, finalist of the 2024 edition of the US Open, can indeed move to the top of the world rankings for the first time in her career if she wins the tournament and world No.2 Elena Rybakina does not reach the semi-finals.

Alcaraz diesel, Jodar overtaken

Coming back from a wrist injury and more than four months off, Carlos Alcaraz defeated the Portuguese Jaime Faria (72nd), 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2, despite a difficult start.

Unusually not very mobile, delicate on serve, he was broken in the seventh game on a ball in the net. Faria won his service game to follow on an ace, before winning the first set.

Borrowed so far, the seven-time Grand Slam winner began to react at the start of the second set, saving two break points in the initial game.

He immediately took the Portuguese's serve with a passing shot landed near the baseline, greeted by a delighted audience.

It was the signal for the rebound, marked by the winning of eight games in a row, until 2-0 in the third set.

The Spaniard was suddenly moving better, playing regularly moving forward to put Faria under pressure. He did not experience any more fear afterward.

He will meet the Chinese Yibing Wu (113th) in the third round.

Alacaraz assured that he now plays without apprehension about his wrist. "When I step on the court, I have to give it my all. I have to hit like I was hitting before the injury, and we'll see what happens."

Also winner at Flushing Meadows, of his only Grand Slam title, in 2021, Daniil Medvedev (8th) for his part, won 6-1, 6-3, 7-5 against the American Sebastian Gorzny (731st).

The Russian thus achieved a second victory in a row without dropping a set, after having easily disposed of the Frenchman Hugo Gaston (91st) in the first round.

After the Frenchman Arthur Fils (11th) and Novak Djokovic (5th), it is the turn of Rafael Jodar, 13th in the world and also a candidate for a good run, to leave the US Open prematurely.

At 19, the Madrilenian entered the tournament a day late, his match having been postponed on Tuesday due to rain the day before.

The finalist in Washington at the beginning of August, 13th in the world, was crushed 6-2, 6-1, 6-1 by the Chinese Yunchaokete Bu (124th), drafted after the last minute withdrawal of a player from the final draw.

Still 896th in the world at the start of 2025, the Madrilenian never existed in this match, passive on the court and guilty of too many direct errors (37).

"I'm new to the circuit. It can happen once, we are human after all. I just have to learn from this experience so that it doesn't happen again," summed up the Spaniard at a press conference.

© 2026 AFP

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