The Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz demolished the American giant Reilly Opelka at his premiere in the 2025 United States Open that is played in Flushing, of Queens’s New York county and will be measured in the second round with the Italian Mattia Bellucci.
Alcaraz, 2 of the world, was undone with Opelka authority (number 67) by 6-4, 7-5 and 6-4 in 2 hours and 5 minutes, without giving a single game against Opelka of 2.11 meters.
In the second round-where he fell eliminated against all prognosis in 2024-the Murcia will face the Italian Mattia Bellucci (n.65), which advanced after the abandonment of Chinese Shang Jungeng, whom he dominated by 7-6 (0), 1-6, 6-3 and 3-0.
This Monday, at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Opelka raised a duel with his powerful serve almost as the only trick. Unable to harm the rest, the American sought to avoid the balls with Alcaraz, a land in which he had all to lose.
“It’s very difficult when you play against someone who doesn’t let you play your game,” said Alcaraz, champion in New York in 2022, at the end of the game.
Powerful in the serve
Alcaraz played a very clean first set, in which he won all his points by putting 85 % of his first serves with 100 % effectiveness. With 2-2, the Murcian broke the Opelka service to take an advantage that would help him sign up for 6-4.
Opelka took over the 200 kilometers per hour, but it was difficult to defend his service: he barely put 56 % of the first, loaded with double fouls and accumulated too many united errors.
The American, with a game that remembers John Isner’s, arrived in New York as the leader of the circuit in direct serves this 2025 with 655. Today he added another 14.
The duel was paired in the second manga, with Alcaraz lowering his performance and Opelka improving his numbers in the serve. With 5-5, looking out the ‘Tie-Break’, the Murcian took a blank break to avoid tiebreaker and close the set to the serve.
In addition to leader in direct serves, Opelka also reached Queens as leader of the circuit in ‘Tie-Breaks won this 2025 with a balance of 27-13.
The third set was a tracing of the second. With 4-4 on the score and the ‘tie-break’ approaching, Alcaraz pointed a ‘break’ with a double devastating foul of Opelka. With 5-4 and serving for the game, the Murcian won his blank game.
At the end of the match, Alcaraz was satisfied with the way he knew how to manage the rest in the face of the powerful Opelka serves, a rival who had never faced himself before.
«You feel that nothing depends on you, that everything depends on him. You must maintain concentration, put as many remains as possible and try to be in the ball, play and look for victory, ”said the Murcian.
Alcaraz thus added his triumph number 55 of 2025 in the circuit, more games won than any other tennis player. The Murcian also leads the list of titles won with six, the last one Cincinnati 1,000 mastersjust a week ago.
Against Bellucci, Alcaraz must shake the ghosts of 2024, when he crashed into the Dutch Botic Van de Zandschulp, at that time number 74 of the world. It was one of the most painful defeats of the Murcian’s career, matching its worst result in a ‘Grand Slam’.
