"Grand Slam" Carlos Alcaraz thwarts Jiri Lehecka upset bid in US Open quarterfinal

NEW YORK—Few have played Carlos Alcaraz tougher in 2025 than Jiri Lehecka, who split a pair of three-set matches with the former world No. 1 earlier this season.

But the US Open proved a different stage entirely as the second-seeded Alcaraz blitzed No. 20 Lehecka, 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 to race into his third semifinal in four years at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Tuesday.

"I think that today I kind of met the Grand Slam version of Carlos," Lehecka said after the match. "I felt that against Carlos, if you want to beat him, you need to win at least few of the big points, and he won all of them, you know. Even when I played really good rally, even when I tried to put him under pressure, go to the net, change the rhythm, do something, he was there, and he had an answer for everything I tried."

Alcaraz won his first major title in Flushing Meadows back in 2022, but has not won a hard-court major since, picking up two titles each at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. The former No. 1 has not dropped a set this year and now stands two wins from his second US Open victory after a one-hour, 56-minute victory on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Lehecka was partly responsible for some of Alcaraz’s hard-court struggles earlier in the year, stunning the Spaniard in three sets at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in February. Though he avenged the Doha defeat two months ago on grass in Queen’s Club, Alcaraz conceded the big hitter from the Czech Republic has become a formidable rival.

“I struggle every time that I played against him,” Alcaraz said after reaching the last eight on Sunday. “There is no doubt about it. That means really how difficult it's play against him.”

Lehecka was initially reluctant to explain exactly what makes him such a tough out against Alcaraz, ultimately boiling down the test to be one of focus.

“Against a player like Carlos you need to bring your best, and it means that it's not only about playing one particular shot, because he knows how to react,” Lehecka said after reaching his second career Grand Slam quarterfinal. “That's his big weapon. You know, that he knows how to react when someone is playing well, when someone is playing this or that.”

That focus wasn’t there in the early goings for Lehecka, who dropped serve in the opening games of the first and second sets and failed to make in-roads on return as Alcaraz eased to a two-set lead.

I think that today I kind of met the Grand Slam version of Carlos. Jiri Lehecka

Lehecka opened the third set more promisingly, keeping on serve through the first six games. He saved a break point in the seventh, outvolleying Alcaraz at net to take a 4-3 lead.

Alcaraz found another opening two games later, flipping a 30-0 deficit to earn another break point, this time converting after turning defense to offense and drawing a wild forehand error from Lehecka.

"If I want to beat a guy like him, then I really need to show my best at the big points, because every time I had a chance—for example, in the second set when there was a close game when I had a chance to go at least for a break point, you know, there was a good rally. We played very good rally, but unfortunately, he was everywhere. He always managed to do something special," Lehecka said in his post-match press conference. "So even although I didn't play bad, I played very good shot or something like that, he had the answer. Yeah, that was kind of demotivating sometimes."

Serving for the match, Alcaraz breezed towards the finish line, winning 12 of the match's final 14 points and fended off some late rain drops to roar over the finish line with a final forehand winner.

In all, Alcaraz struck an impressive 28 winers to just 17 unforced errors, winning 84% of points played on his first serve and won without facing a break point across three sets.

Alcaraz will next face the winner of another intriguing quarterfinal clash that pits former No. 1 Novak Djokovic against top-ranked American Taylor Fritz, who made his first major final at this very tournament last year.