Gael Monfils bids adieu to Grand Slam tennis by losing in the second round at the US Open

Dubai: Carlos Alcaraz extended his Grand Slam winning streak to 16 matches after defeating Jaime Faria in straight sets at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The third-seeded Spaniard, who returned from a four-month absence due to a wrist injury, demonstrated no signs of rust as he overwhelmed world No. 72 Faria, who had earlier upset American Ben Shelton in Cincinnati.

Alcaraz, now 22, is on track to become the first player since Roger Federer to successfully defend the US Open title. Federer won five consecutive titles between 2004 and 2008, but Alcaraz has already secured two Grand Slam victories in New York, winning his first in 2022 and his second in 2025. Alcaraz's win at Flushing Meadows also brought his US Open main-draw record to 26 victories, tied for the best at any of the four Grand Slam tournaments.

With a 9-0 record at Grand Slam events in 2026, Alcaraz will next face China’s Wu Yibing, who defeated James Duckworth 7-5, 6-3, 6-1. Alcaraz leads their head-to-head record 1-0 in this meeting, previously occurring in Shanghai in 2024.