Carlos Alcaraz's swift second-round victory has brought big relief for Aryana Sabalenka.
According to TSN, the world No. 2 on Wednesday, August 27, claimed a straight-set 6-1, 6-0, 6-3 win over Italian tennis player Mattia Bellucci in the second round of the US Open.
The five-time Grand Slam winner’s one-hour, 36-minute victory over the Italian opponent saved defending champion Sabalenka from the late-night match and helped her to advance into the third round by 11PM.
Following the match, the Belarusian expressed her gratitude to Alcaraz, saying, “Oh, thank you, Carlos. Thank you so much for finishing that match in three sets and making it quick and not too much of a wait for me, because I hate playing the second after 7:00 after guys.”
“It's the worst. Especially when you play in the later stages of the tournament when the matches get tighter, and there are, like, five sets, and you are, like, 'It's 12:00, and you're still waiting.' I'm super happy that he did it really quick, and I went on court on time. Now I'll be back, and I'll have some more time to recover,” the 27-year-old added.
The three-time Grand Slam winner who beat Polina Kudermetova 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 in the second round of the last major tournament of the season was relieved after finishing the game early, as she got time to recover for the next match.
Sabalenka will now face Leylah Fernandez in the third round at Flushing Meadows, while Alcaraz will clash with another Italian, Luciano Darderi, on Thursday, August 28, 2025.
