LONDON — Carlos Alcaraz said he smiled after his US Open title defence ended at 3:34am because he had missed the feeling of competing, after a gruelling five-set loss to Ben Shelton that lasted four hours and 28 minutes on Arthur Ashe. The quarter-final defeat, the latest finish in the tournament's history at Flushing Meadows, was filmed as the Spaniard walked down the tunnel grinning despite the result.
"The quarter-final was great - it was a gift for me," Alcaraz told BBC Sport before this week's Laver Cup in London. "I suffered, but I enjoyed and that's why I smiled when I walked out of the court because I missed that feeling." The 23-year-old, a seven-time Grand Slam singles champion including this year's Australian Open, was playing his first tournament in over five months after a wrist injury that left him in pain every day. He did not defend his French Open title or compete at Wimbledon and did not know if he would play in New York until a week before.
"I think it's too much," Alcaraz said of playing so late. "The last match people stayed but if that match was played earlier, the court could have been packed. I would like to change the schedule a little with a maximum finish at 11pm or whatever would be better." His match was one of several late finishes at Flushing Meadows, where eventual champion Alexander Zverev finished past 1am in three of his first five matches and Venus Williams finished her first-round match at 2am.
Alcaraz is one of several top players to miss large chunks of the season through injury. Britain's Jack Draper ended his season early with an arm injury, while rival Jannik Sinner missed the US Open with a knee injury. Alcaraz said at the US Open he will miss some tournaments in the future to allow himself to be "mentally and physically healthy." Alcaraz and Italy's Sinner split eight Grand Slam titles between them from 2024 and 2025, but have met only once this year because of injuries, with Sinner winning their sole meeting in the Monte Carlo Masters final to become world number one.
Alcaraz will now compete for Team Europe at the Laver Cup at The O2 in London between 25-27 September, where Europe captained by Yannick Noah faces a United States team overseen by Andre Agassi. "When you have your team-mates, the best in the world, by your side, it's a weird feeling but it's beautiful," Alcaraz said. "We played like our lives depend on it. That's why the Laver Cup is so good to watch as well." On Sinner, he added: "I have text him not too much, but a few times when he has been winning everything, mostly at the beginning of the year. I miss him, I miss seeing him around, playing against him. He pushes me to be a better player. People will be waiting for those matches, so I think it's going to be better."