Carlos Alcaraz and Tommy Paul will meet in a compelling fourth-round contest at this year’s US Open.

Alcaraz has moved through the draw with minimal trouble, despite his recent return from a knee injury. The Spaniard has already accounted for Roman Safiullin, Jaume Faria, and Wu Yibing to reach the last 16.

Paul has taken a far more demanding route. The American has come through three hard-fought matches against Coleman Wong, Dino Prizmic, and Alexander Bublik, with the meeting against Bublik going the distance in five sets.

That run has left Paul convinced he can offer Alcaraz a serious examination at his home major. After his latest win, he said: “It’s crazy to be playing against Carlos again. I’d say he’s the player I’ve faced the most times on the entire tour. We’ve had some great battles, but he’s also given me a few beatings.

“Both he and Sinner are the dominant players and the ultimate test for everyone else. I’m going to give it my all; I want to play my best tennis because I know I’ll need it to beat him. I refuse to step onto the court thinking I can’t beat any opponent.

“I always go out there with the mindset that I have what it takes to win. I expect we’ll play in Arthur Ashe Stadium, and maybe it will be a night session. I know people love him in New York, but I hope they’ll cheer me on.”

The pair have met eight times on the ATP Tour, with Alcaraz winning the last five. Paul has two victories in the rivalry, both at the Canadian Open in 2022 and 2023, while Alcaraz has also beaten him in Miami and Cincinnati.

Their meetings have already covered the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and Roland Garros, all of them won by Alcaraz. Their most recent match came at the 2026 Australian Open, where Alcaraz won in the round of 16 before going on to claim the title.

The US Open clash is scheduled for Sunday, 6th September, with the order of play still to be confirmed. Arthur Ashe Stadium is the most likely setting.

Carlos Alcaraz’s latest remarks at the US Open have added fresh weight to the ongoing debate over tennis scheduling, with the Spaniard hinting that a more selective calendar may soon become part of his own approach.

After his second-round win over Jaime Faria, Alcaraz was direct about the toll of the sport’s demands. “In the future, I’m going to take some breaks,” said the Spaniard after his second round victory against Jaime Faria. Maybe not four months, but one month, two months, missing some tournaments, because it’s impossible to play them all.”

That view is easier to understand given his own recent interruption, as he was sidelined for four and a half months after a wrist injury sustained at the Barcelona Open in April. Still, the implication of his comments reaches beyond one player’s season management and could influence others at the top of the game.

Jannik Sinner has already appeared to take a similar path, particularly during the grass-court swing, where he played only Wimbledon. Now Aryna Sabalenka has also signaled openness to a lighter load.

Sabalenka was asked about Alcaraz’s comments after her third-round win over Kamilla Rakhimova at the US Open, and the world No 1 made her position clear.

“I would love to see changes to the calendar and eliminate the mandatory events to let the players decide what’s best for their health,” said the world No 1.

“It’s been incredibly intense. Especially if you play at the level Carlos plays, which is basically very consistent, it’s very hard on the body.

“If they’re not going to reduce it, we’ll have to sacrifice points, ranking position, whatever it takes, to protect our bodies. I think it would be really helpful for the WTA and ATP to relax the calendar a bit for us in order to truly support our health.”

Sabalenka has already shown in 2026 that a more measured schedule can pay off. She skipped the Middle Eastern swing and did not compete between the Australian Open and the Sunshine Double, then captured both Indian Wells and the Miami Open.

Those are two of the three titles she has won this year. By contrast, a heavier stretch on clay and grass brought early defeats, including a round-of-32 loss to Sorana Cirstea at the Italian Open and a round-of-16 exit to Naomi Osaka at Wimbledon, her earliest loss there since 2019.

Carlos Alcaraz has sparked discussion after saying he may trim back his tournament schedule after the US Open. The Spaniard has already been absent from four and a half months of ATP Tour action after suffering a wrist injury at the Barcelona Open, and his current run in New York marks his first singles appearance since that setback.

So far, the US Open has asked few questions of him. He has moved through the draw with wins over Roman Safiullin, Jaime Faria, and Wu Yibing, dropping only one set along the way.

Following his second-round victory over Faria, Alcaraz explained that he plans to be more selective with the events he enters, with the aim of avoiding injury and limiting fatigue.

“In the future, I’m going to take some breaks,” said Alcaraz in his post-match press conference. “Maybe not four months, but one month, two months, missing some tournaments, because it’s impossible to play them all.”

That remark has led John Isner and Sam Querrey to speculate about which events could disappear from Alcaraz’s calendar in the years ahead. Speaking on Nothing Major, Isner suggested one tournament in particular may no longer be a regular stop for the Spaniard.

“I think he might have a point. A tournament like Canada might not ever see Alcaraz again. He has proven that time off does not really hurt him, and when he’s healthy, he is going to be able to train fully.

Querrey then expanded on the idea, pointing to a reduced schedule that would still prioritise the biggest events.

“Totally,” the American agreed. “If you’re him, you are going to play the majors, but Indian Wells and Miami. Just play Indian Wells. Toronto and Cincy, just play Cincy [the Cincinnati Open].

“If you’re playing Rome and Madrid, just pick one. Maybe go to Asia every other year. I wonder if Jannik Sinner feels like that as well. Yeah, put your money where your mouth is. Just don’t play.”

Alcaraz has collected every Masters title except the Canadian Open, the Paris Masters, and the Shanghai Masters. Even so, he has not played the Canadian Open in the past two years, and the Miami Open could also be among the first Masters tournaments left off his schedule after recent results there. He exited Miami in the second round in 2025 and was beaten by Sebastian Korda in the third round this year.

For now, the one certainty is that he will continue to feature at the four Grand Slams: the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open.