Surprise! Alcaraz learns during ESPN interview he was wrong about his next US Open opponent

Associated Press

Sep 7, 2026

Carlos Alcaraz, of Spain, gestures after he won his match against Tommy Paul, of the United States, during the fourth round of the U.S. Open tennis championships Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

Carlos Alcaraz, of Spain, reacts after he won his match against Tommy Paul, of the United States, during the fourth round of the U.S. Open tennis championships Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

NEW YORK (AP) — Next up for Carlos Alcaraz at the U.S. Open is ... not who he thought it was.

Alcaraz was surprised to learn during an interview on ESPN after his victory Sunday that his quarterfinal match would be against either Ben Shelton or Stefanos Tsitsipas in a match that Shelton later won.

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The defending champion visited the set after beating Tommy Paul in his fourth-round match. Andy Roddick, the 2003 U.S. Open champion, asked Alcaraz about the challenges either player would present.

A confused Alcaraz asked him to repeat the question.

“You're either going to play Shelton or Tsitsipas," Roddick said. "Maybe just a word on both of them and the challenges ...”

He didn't get to finish the sentence because Alcaraz leaned over to look at the paper in front of Roddick.

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“Really? Oh my God, I thought I was playing Medvedev-Tiafoe,” Alcaraz said, before both men started laughing.

Frances Tiafoe beat Daniil Medvedev in their match that was going on during the interview, but now plays Alex Michelsen.

Many tennis players say they don't like to look ahead at their draw, though it might be rare for one to not know his next match so deep in a tournament.

Shelton, the No. 8 seed, beat Tsitsipas in straight sets.

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See AP’s full tennis coverage here