Defending champions Sabalenka, Alcaraz face hometown heroes in US Open

The U.S. Open reaches the round of 16 on Sunday with defending champions Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz facing off against American players Taylor Townsend and Tommy Paul. Meanwhile, Ben Shelton, the top-ranked American, prepares to challenge Stefanos Tsitsipas. Sabalenka's improved serve helped her to defeat Kamilla Rakhimova in three sets, with 10 aces in the match. The four-time Grand Slam winner, who has not lost a set in the tournament, was more distracted by the smell of cannabis at Louis Armstrong Stadium.

Alcaraz has won their previous five meetings with Paul, but the American has forced him into tiebreaks six times. Alcaraz described playing against Paul as "really complicated" and "dangerous for everyone on the tour." Paul, who won his last match against Alexander Bublik, is coming into the match with a positive mindset and aims to reach his first quarter-final of a Grand Slam.

Shelton, seeded eighth, has had a challenging tournament, losing a set in each of the first three rounds. He faced a tiebreak four times during his match against Denis Shapovalov. Despite the difficulties, Shelton managed to secure a win during the rain-interrupted third-round match. He faces Tsitsipas, who beat him in 2023, and is optimistic about the challenge ahead.