So much has changed for Carlos Alcaraz since he arrived at the US Open last year. Then outside the Top 50, he is now the No. 4 player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings with two ATP Masters 1000 titles to his name.

The Spaniard does not see himself any differently as he enters the season’s final major, though.

“I [do not] feel at all the difference between last year, for example, and now,” Alcaraz said. “I’m just trying to be the same kid as always.”

Last year, the teen was chasing his dreams and still relatively unknown to casual fans. Now, Alcaraz is one of the most beloved tennis players in the world. But his attitude towards the spotlight has remained the same.

“It’s difficult, but that’s how I am. The same kid as always,” Alcaraz said. “[It is important] to be humble, and I always will be the same.”

Another difference for Alcaraz is that he is considered one of the favourites to lift the trophy at Flushing Meadows. The Spaniard is the only singles player who has won multiple Masters 1000 titles this season (Miami, Madrid) and he is seeded third in New York.

Alcaraz admitted in Montreal, where he lost his opening match against Tommy Paul, that he did start to feel the weight of expectations.

“I think in Montreal I felt the pressure and I tried to [not] think about that, just to enjoy. My pressure here is to enjoy every match, show my best game,” Alcaraz said. “Obviously, I want to do a good result here. It’s a really important tournament for me. But I know that if I don’t feel that pressure as a bad part, I will go forward.

“Obviously, my goal here is to enjoy. I think if I do that, I will do a good result.”

When the draw was released Thursday, it was revealed that Alcaraz could play Rafael Nadal in a blockbuster semi-final. Nadal leads their ATP Head2Head series 2-1, with all three of their clashes coming in the past 16 months at Masters 1000 events.

“Of course, it would be amazing for me to play a semi-final here against Rafa, but there are great matches ahead. There are a lot of days before going to a semi-final,” Alcaraz said. “Of course, Rafa has to win his matches, as well. So it’s a long process.”

Most importantly, Alcaraz knows he can succeed in New York. The teen showed no fear of the big stage last year, when he upset Stefanos Tsitsipas en route to the quarter-finals.

“I feel stronger and more prepared than last year,” Alcaraz said. “I did quarter-finals in Roland Garros, as well. I have played long matches, of course, tough matches this year against the top players. I think I’m more ready in this tournament than the last year.”

Did You Know?
If Alcaraz wins the US Open, he will become the youngest No. 1 in the history of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings (since 1973).

Treading lightly in Cincinnati as he returned from an abdominal tear, Rafael Nadal played just two practice sets before his appearance at the ATP Masters 1000, where he lost a three-setter to eventual champion Borna Coric in his opening match.

Ahead of the US Open, where he’s set to compete for the first time since he won the 2019 title, the Spaniard is ramping up the intensity on the practice court in preparation for his bid for a record-extending 23rd Grand Slam singles title.

“I took it very easy in Cincinnati, in the practices,” he said on Friday’s US Open Media Day. “The match, I tried my best without putting all the effort there on the serve.”

In New York, practising in front of crowds during US Open Fan Week, Nadal has been hitting at full tilt.

“[I’m] taking care with the serve, being honest,” he said, noting that the service motion can be “dangerous” and “risky” for his abdominal tear. “But in general terms, I am practising at a high level of intensity. I’m quite happy the way that I am playing. Of course, we need to compete later. But it’s already two weeks on the Tour, even if only one match professional, official. But practising every day with the guys helps me, without a doubt. I played sets every day for the last five days. That helps, of course.

“Before Cincinnati I just played two sets there before the tournament started, so it’s difficult.  Even if I had my chances [against Coric], the preparation had been not very long, but I gave myself a chance there. It was not possible [to win].  Let’s try here again, with a better preparation.  From my perspective, I am practising quite well. Let’s see what can happen, but I am happy with the practices.”

Nadal has won the US Open four times, in 2010, 2013, 2017 and 2019, more than any other Slam outside of Roland Garros. Set for his 16th New York appearance, he will open against Australia’s Rinky Hijikata on Tuesday evening in Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“Happy to be back,” he said. “Couple years without having the chance to be here since 2019.  Of course, [I’m] excited to play here. It’s one of the most important places in my tennis career, without a doubt. So just looking for every single practice to be better and better, just be competitive from the first round. So let’s see.”

Spain’s Fernando Verdasco is one win away from a return to the US Open main draw. The 38-year-old, a quarter-finalist in New York in 2009 and 2010, earned a Thursday qualifying victory as he seeks his 18th main-draw appearance at the year’s final Grand Slam and his first since 2019.

Verdasco was a 7-6(4), 6-3 winner against Mikhail Kukushkin as he produced a near-identical scoreline to his 7-6(5), 6-3 opening-round win against Italy’s Gianluca Mager.

He will face 12th seed Pavel Kotov on Friday for a place in the main draw. Kotov has also won all four of his qualifying sets, including a 6-3, 6-4 win against Sebastian Ofner on Thursday. He is seeking to qualify for a major for the second time in as many tries after he earned his place in the Roland Garros main draw in May.

.@FerVerdasco is fired up! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/8sM2IXbVRI

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 26, 2022

American Christopher Eubanks also advanced to the final qualifying round with a dramatic three-set win in New York.

In one of the matches of the day, the 26-year-old edged France’s Gregoire Barrere 7-6(6), 6-7(2), 7-6(10-4) in a two-hour, 50-minute marathon. The former Georgia Tech star had three match points at 0/40 on return at 5-6 in the third set, but instead finished the match with a dominant performance in the tie-break, winning its first three and final five points.

Seeking to qualify for his home Slam for the second straight year as he bids for his fourth appearance in the 128-player field, Eubanks will next face Italy’s Raul Brancaccio, who won a 7-5 first set against Mats Moraing before the German retired.

Italian veteran Andreas Seppi moved closer to his 19th straight US Open main-draw appearance with a 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 win against 26th seed Vasek Pospisil. Seppi and Brancaccio are among seven Italians into the third round of qualifying, including 10th seed Franco Agamenone, Francesco Maestrelli, Matteo Arnaldi, Flavio Cobolli and Riccardo Bonadio.

Gilles Simon was knocked out of his farewell US Open with a loss against Arnaldi, who advanced 6-1, 3-6, 6-4. The Frenchman is set to retire following the 2022 season.

After entering the Winston-Salem Open at a career-high of No. 23 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, Botic van de Zandschulp is knocking on the door of the Top 20 behind his third tour-level semi-final run of the season.

The second-seeded Dutchman defeated France’s Benjamin Bonzi 7-6(6), 7-6(1) to extend his strong debut at the North Carolina ATP 250 event, improving to 6-0 in sets on the week. Already up to No. 22 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, he will rise to No. 19 if he can win his first ATP Tour title on Saturday.

“It’s been a rollercoaster of a season, making such a jump in the rankings, playing different tournaments, playing all the big tournaments,” said the 26-year-old, who broke into the Top 100 for the first time following his run to the US Open quarter-finals last year. “It’s every time a first time, and it’s also my first time here in Winston-Salem and for now I’m still loving it,” he added with a smile.

Van de Zandschulp battled back from 1/4 down to win the opening tie-break but dominated the second tie-break as he raised his level in the crucial moments. Bonzi did little wrong but could not cope with the varied attack from the Dutchman, who finished a 15-ace performance with an unreturned serve on match point.

“I played an unbelievable breaker,” he said of his success down the stretch against the 10th seed. “I think we both served great today, we both played a very good match and we played a high level. I’m really happy with the win.”

After an opening set that did not include a break point, van de Zandschulp recovered an early break in the second after saving two break points to hold for 2-3 and avoid going a double break behind. He won the first five points of the second tie-break as he wrapped up the win in just over two hours.

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Another Frenchman awaits in the semi-finals after Adrian Mannarino’s upset of fourth seed Maxime Cressy. In a 6-4, 7-6(3) victory, Mannarino broke the American’s serve in the opening game of both sets but found himself level at 3-3 in the second after dropping serve on the lone break point against him in the 92-minute match.

Now 18-12 on hard courts this season, the Frenchman was playing in his fifth quarter-final of the year and advanced to his second semi-final (‘s-Hertogenbosch). He has beaten three seeds this week, knocking off ninth seed Emil Ruusuvuori and eighth seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the past two rounds.

In the Winston-Salem evening session, Richard Gasquet takes on Laslo Djere before Jack Draper meets Marc-Andrea Huesler.