Carlos Alcaraz had a nearly perfect performance, defeating young Mattia Bellucci in the second round of the US Open with a commanding 6-1, 6-0, 6-3 victory. The five-time Grand Slam champion made a clear statement, warning the rest of the draw that he won’t be giving anything away in his quest for another major title.
“Carlitos” is chasing his second title at Flushing Meadows and also has the chance to leave the tournament as the world No. 1 if he wins the title—or at least advances one round further than his rival Jannik Sinner. The 3-time major champion had conceded just four games in his debut against Vit Kopriva, and this time, Alcaraz didn’t want to be outdone, sweeping past Bellucci.
Although Bellucci, 23, isn’t a player with extensive experience at this level, he wasn’t an easy opponent. With a current ranking of No. 65, he won a Challenger tournament just a couple of weeks ago. Bellucci even secured his first top-10 victory against Daniil Medvedev on hard courts earlier this year, so he had the credentials to at least pose a challenge for the Spaniard.
ATP US Open 2025 New York: Results, Schedule of play, Prize money, Draw and PredictionsA flawless first set for Alcaraz
The match began with Alcaraz hitting the ground running against an opponent who couldn’t find his rhythm. Alcaraz’s strong service games made it nearly impossible for his opponent to get the ball in play or extend rallies, while Bellucci also struggled to find consistency on his serve.
“Carlitos” got two consecutive breaks and quickly went up 5-0. On the return, he took advantage of Bellucci’s poor 54% first-serve rate and looked much fresher than his opponent. Although the Italian managed to hold his first service game to narrow the gap, Alcaraz responded with his serve, closing out the first set 6-1. Bellucci had committed 12 unforced errors with only four winners, compared to Alcaraz’s 10 winners and seven unforced errors.
