Carlos Alcaraz is scared by a qualifier before reaching the second round of the US Open | Tennis News

Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz, who lost to Novak Djokovic in the final of the Paris Olympics, got off to a good start before mistakes piled up and he lost the second set.

The Spaniard restored order by breaking with a forehand in the third set to take a 4-3 lead and never looked back, sealing the win with his eighth ace and setting up a second-round meeting with Dutch player Botic van de Zandschulp.

Tu, an Adelaide native who retired from tennis for six years in 2014 to pursue a degree and set up a tennis academy, won three qualifying matches to face the third-seeded player on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court for the first time.

“Of course he surprised me a little bit,” Alcaraz said in an on-court interview with Nick Kyrgios, who works as an ESPN analyst at Flushing Meadows.

“He started the match a little nervous, but after the first set he grew up and started playing great tennis.

“Now I'm going to follow him and his results because I'm pretty sure I'll see him again very, very soon.”

Alcaraz won the first set easily and the subdued crowd seemed to accept a one-sided match.

But Tu turned the tables and took a 5-4 lead in the second set with a passing shot that flew past the charging Alcaraz. He broke serve with a beautiful one-handed backhand down the line to level the match. As the crowd came to life, he raised his hand to his ear.

In the third set, Alcaraz's strength began to wear down in the hot and humid weather and the 21-year-old took the win and then thanked the fans for the “electrifying” atmosphere.

“This is one of the most electrifying places with the most electrifying crowds I have ever played in front of,” he said.

“It's an honor to step onto this court and allow people to enjoy my tennis once again.”

Alcaraz won the French Open in June and defeated Djokovic to triumph at Wimbledon a month later, but was bitterly disappointed after failing to make it to the Paris Games and finally suffering a surprise loss to Gael Monfils at the Cincinnati Open.

The 21-year-old, who won the 2022 US Open, showed no signs of his mobility being limited by a right ankle injury sustained during a training session on Saturday.