US Open 2026 Result: Alcaraz, Sabalenka Headline Quarterfinal Field As Men’s Last Eight Is Set

Defending champions Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka both booked their places in the 2026 US Open quarterfinals on Sunday, setting up a blockbuster men’s last-eight clash between Alcaraz and American No. 8 seed Ben Shelton, while the women’s draw is down to its final eight contenders as well. The full men’s quarterfinal line-up was confirmed after Sunday’s play at Flushing Meadows; the women’s fourth round wraps up on Monday, September 7.

The Results

No. 2 seed Carlos Alcaraz eased past No. 20 seed Tommy Paul 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 in straight sets to reach the quarterfinals. In the same half of the draw, No. 8 seed Ben Shelton dismissed Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-2, 6-3, 6-4, setting up an Alcaraz-Shelton quarterfinal that guaranteed at least one American or Spaniard in the semifinal picture from that section.

On the other side of the men’s draw, No. 11 seed Frances Tiafoe outlasted No. 7 seed Daniil Medvedev in a gruelling three-set battle, 7-6(1), 6-4, 7-6(6), while unseeded American Alex Michelsen continued his fairytale run, beating No. 27 seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry 7-6(6), 6-4, 6-4. That result confirmed at least one American in the men’s semifinals, since Tiafoe and Michelsen now face off for a final-four spot.

In the women’s draw, top seed and two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka survived an uneven display to beat American Taylor Townsend 6-4, 6-3, reaching her sixth straight US Open quarterfinal. No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula also advanced in straight sets, defeating Sorana Cirstea 6-3, 6-4, while Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova, the No. 6 seed, edged past No. 11 seed Marta Kostyuk to set up a quarterfinal date with Sabalenka.

Key Details

• Alcaraz dropped no sets across his run to the quarterfinals and looked untroubled by the wrist issue that disrupted his summer, per on-site reporting from Flushing Meadows.
• Michelsen became the first unseeded man this century to reach the US Open quarterfinals without dropping a set, winning over 75 percent of his first-serve points in every match so far.
• Tiafoe improved to 10-0 at Louis Armstrong Stadium with his win over Medvedev, saving a set point in the third-set tiebreak.
• Sabalenka has not lost a match at Flushing Meadows since the 2023 final, extending one of the most dominant recent runs at any Grand Slam venue.
• Monday’s remaining fourth-round matches will decide the rest of the women’s quarterfinal field: Coco Gauff faces fellow American Iva Jovic, Elena Rybakina meets Naomi Osaka, Iga Swiatek plays Qinwen Zheng, and Mirra Andreeva takes on Anastasia Potapova. On the men’s side, top seed Alexander Zverev meets No. 21 seed Luciano Darderi, and Learner Tien faces Karen Khachanov for the final quarterfinal spot.

Context

This is shaping up as one of the more wide-open US Opens in recent memory. Novak Djokovic’s first-round exit — his first opening-round Grand Slam loss since 2006, ending a run of 78 straight first-round wins at majors — has already reshaped the men’s title picture, clearing a path that both Alcaraz and the resurgent American contingent (Shelton, Tiafoe, Michelsen) are looking to exploit. A win for Alcaraz here would complete his career Grand Slam set, following his recent triumphs elsewhere on tour.

On the women’s side, Sabalenka’s continued dominance at Flushing Meadows makes her the clear favourite, but Pegula’s steady progress and Noskova’s status as the reigning Wimbledon champion mean the bottom half of the draw is far from settled.

Reaction

Sabalenka credited her ability to reset after Townsend briefly threatened a fightback in the second set. “I was just trying to stay focused on myself and play not only point by point but like ball by ball,” she said courtside after the win. “I’m happy that I was able to turn around that second set.”

What’s Next

The quarterfinals are scheduled for September 8-9, with Alcaraz vs Shelton and Tiafoe vs Michelsen headlining the men’s side. Sabalenka will play the winner of Noskova and Kostyuk in the women’s quarterfinals. The men’s final is set for Sunday, September 13, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. This piece will be updated with results as the tournament progresses through the semifinals and finals.

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