Carlos Alcaraz breezes into US Open semifinals with win over Jiri Lehecka

Carlos Alcaraz continued his flawless procession through the US Open singles draw with a comprehensive straight-sets quarterfinal victory over Jiri Lehecka at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Tuesday afternoon.

Alcaraz, who is yet to drop a set at Flushing Meadows this year, needed just two hours and nine minutes to dispose of Lehecka in a completely dominant display on Ashe.

The 2022 champion did not face a single break point throughout Tuesday’s quarterfinal and looks imperious ahead of a semifinal showdown with the winner of Taylor Fritz versus Novak Djokovic.

Alcaraz has dropped his serve just once all tournament and never looked back after taking an early break in Lehecka’s first service game on Tuesday afternoon before closing out a 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 victory.

The win marks a remarkable 59th victory of the season for Alcaraz, who has looked back to his best at the US Open after a below-par performance last year saw him exit the tournament in the second round following a shock straight-sets defeat against Botic van de Zandschulp.

Tuesday’s quarter-final had all the markings of a potential banana skin for Alcaraz, who had faced off against Lehecka on two occasions in 2025, winning one and losing the other. Both matches went the distance, with Alcaraz winning in three sets in the Queen’s final earlier this summer and Lehecka prevailing in three in a quarter-final meeting in Doha.

There was to be no closely-fought encounter on Tuesday, however, as Alcaraz raced into an early lead and held the match in a vice-like grip throughout.

The World Number 2 looked to be coasting in second gear for much of Tuesday’s quarter-final and appears capable of moving up several levels should he be presented with a tougher challenge during Friday’s semi-final.

Alcaraz will reclaim the World No. 1 spot he last held in Sept. 2023 if he wins the 2025 US Open and said in an on-court interview on Tuesday that it is “difficult not to think about it.”

“Every time I step on the course, I try not to think about it. If I think about it, I put pressure on myself. If I step onto the court, I try to enjoy it. I am trying not to think too much about it,” Alcaraz said on court after his win over Lehecka. “I want to step onto the court, try to follow my goals for the match, and then the No. 1 is there. I try not to think too much about it.”

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