Alcaraz and Sabalenka Reach US Open Fourth Round as Williams Sisters Fall in Doubles Return

Defending singles champions Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka progressed to the fourth round of the US Open on Friday, while Serena and Venus Williams suffered a narrow defeat in their return to Grand Slam doubles competition.

Alcaraz and Sabalenka each secured straight-set victories in New York to remain on track in their respective title defenses. However, the Williams sisters lost a three-hour doubles encounter after squandering a 5-0 lead in a deciding set tie-break.

Defending Champions Move Into Last 16

In the men’s singles draw, reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz of Spain defeated China’s Wu Yibing 6-3, 6-4, 6-1. Returning from a four-month injury layoff, Alcaraz converted decisive breaks late in the first two sets before dominating the third. “I think my level is really good,” Alcaraz said after the match, adding that he was adjusting well to match competition. Acknowledging his opponent’s powerful shots, Alcaraz noted that “for me, it’s really difficult to control sometimes.” Alcaraz will face 20th-seeded American Tommy Paul in the fourth round, after Paul defeated 15th seed Alexander Bublik 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (4/7), 6-1, 6-3.

In the women’s singles event, world number one Aryna Sabalenka defeated 92nd-ranked Kamilla Rakhimova 6-3, 6-4. Sabalenka hit 29 winners and 10 aces while facing no break points throughout the match. During play, Sabalenka expressed annoyance to the chair umpire over marijuana smoke reaching the court from the stands, stating, “It’s a bit tricky to handle that smell” while competing. Sabalenka must successfully defend her title to guarantee keeping the top ranking. Her next match will be against 96th-ranked American Taylor Townsend, who eliminated 15th seed Diana Shnaider 6-2, 6-7 (3/7), 6-3.

Williams Sisters Eliminated in Doubles Return

Friday’s evening schedule featured Serena and Venus Williams playing together in a Grand Slam doubles match for the first time since 2022. The American pair was defeated 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 7-6 (10/7) by 14th seeds Chan Hao-ching of Taiwan and Maya Joint of Australia.

After dropping the first set, the Williams sisters won a second-set tie-break to force a decider. In the final tie-break, they took a 5-0 lead before Chan and Joint rallied to win ten of the next 12 points. Serena Williams entered the tournament following a return from a four-year retirement, having played at Wimbledon earlier in the season. The sisters previously won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles and three Olympic gold medals as a team.

Men’s Fourth-Round Matches Set

American 11th seed Frances Tiafoe advanced with a 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 victory over Monaco’s Valentin Vacherot, the 22nd seed. Tiafoe’s win sets up a fourth-round match against seventh seed Daniil Medvedev of Russia, who defeated 26th seed Arthur Rinderknech of France 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in under two hours.

Unseeded Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece, currently ranked 53rd after previously holding the world number three spot, reached the US Open fourth round for the first time in his career by beating 18th seed Jiri Lehecka 2-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7/3), 6-1. Tsitsipas will next play eighth seed Ben Shelton of the United States, who beat Canada’s Denis Shapovalov 7-6 (7/3), 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-4.

Comebacks and Upsets in Women’s Singles

Third seed Jessica Pegula of the United States recovered from a set down to defeat Canadian Leylah Fernandez 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 in a meeting between two former US Open finalists. Pegula remains one of the competitors with a mathematical chance to take the world number one ranking from Sabalenka.

In other women’s singles third-round matches, Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk defeated Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia 6-3, 6-2. American Emma Navarro pulled off an upset by eliminating seventh seed Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic 6-3, 7-5.

Background

The US Open is the final Grand Slam tournament of the tennis season, held annually in Flushing Meadows, New York. The 2026 tournament features defending champions Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka attempting to retain their crowns, alongside competition for the women’s world number one ranking. The event also featured the high-profile reunion of Serena and Venus Williams, who have established one of the most successful doubles partnerships in modern tennis history.