The best tennis in the world is underway at the New York Open, and Carlos Alcaraz is already in the third round. The Spaniard solidly overcame Reilly Opelka and Thomaz Bellucci in the first two rounds, and is starting to get into the swing of things in the opening week of the 2025 US Open.
When does Alcaraz play in the US Open?
His next opponent will be Luciano Darderi, the Italian-born Argentine, who defeated local player Eliot Spizzirri and will face the biggest challenge of his career in his first official clash against Alcaraz.
The duel between Alcaraz and Darderi, corresponding to the third round, will take place on Friday, September 29, at a time yet to be confirmed. In the United Kingdom, all US Open matches can be followed live on Sky Sports, while updates, reports and analysis will be available on MARCA.com
Darderi, currently ranked 32nd in the ATP rankings, has won three titles this season, all on clay. Alcaraz, on the other hand, has eight consecutive victories on fast courts, dropping just two sets in that streak.
The winner of this match will face the winner of the French duel between Bonzi and Rinderknech in the last 16.
Alcaraz and the lesson of 2024
After thrashing Italian Thomaz Bellucci 6-1, 6-0, 6-3, the Spaniard recalled one of the toughest defeats of his career: the second-round exit at the New York tournament in 2024 against Botic van de Zandschulp. “At the time it was the worst thing I had ever done in my life. But, in hindsight, it was very useful for my growth,” he confessed.
The current world No. 2 admitted that this defeat allowed him to learn to manage better in difficult moments. “It was one of those matches where you understand how you should have acted, and this year I’m doing much better,” he said.
His next opponent will be Luciano Darderi, whom he considers “more of a clay-court specialist than a fast-court player,” but he expects an “interesting battle” in the third round. The Spaniard continues to make steady progress in New York, determined to erase the memory of last year once and for all.
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