Alcaraz, Sabalenka ease into US Open third round; American players shine

What the report says

Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka moved into the third round of the US Open in New York on Wednesday, according to Al Jazeera’s report based on Reuters coverage. Alcaraz, the Spanish second seed, recovered after dropping the opening set against Jaime Faria and won in four sets, easing concerns about the wrist issue that had followed him into the tournament. Sabalenka, the world number one and defending women’s champion, advanced with a routine straight-sets victory over Russian qualifier Polina Iatcenko.

The report said the day also featured a strong showing from U.S. players. Ben Shelton, Jessica Pegula, Emma Navarro and Frances Tiafoe all reached the third round. Pegula, the third seed, needed less than an hour to beat Sofia Kenin, while Shelton was pushed to four sets before defeating Hubert Hurkacz in front of a supportive home crowd. Navarro beat fellow American Caty McNally, and Tiafoe moved on after a competitive win over Rei Sakamoto.

Al Jazeera also noted that organizers were dealing with a backlog of rain-delayed matches at Flushing Meadows. The roundup reflects the early stages of the final Grand Slam of the year, where defending champions, top seeds and several American contenders remain in contention as the draw begins to narrow.