# Carlos Alcaraz Shrugs Off First-Set Setback to Down Jaime Faria in Flushing Meadows Night Session **By Amelie Fontaine** \nPublished September 22, 2026 \nUpdated September 22, 2026 > After dropping the opening set against Portugal's Jaime Faria, defending US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz saved two critical break points in the second set to spark a dominant four-set comeback win in New York. Under the night lights of Flushing Meadows, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz briefly found himself on the ropes before revealing the competitive gears that have defined his career. Facing Portugal's world No. 72 Jaime Faria in the second round of the US Open, the 23-year-old Spaniard dropped a tight opening set 4-6, still searching for rhythm in just his second singles match following a 139-day layoff due to a right wrist injury. The trajectory of the contest flipped entirely in the opening game of the second set. Facing two break points on his serve, the seven-time Grand Slam champion erased both with decisive hitting, held serve, and promptly went on a rampage. Alcaraz reeled off a 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 response to seal the win and book a third-round encounter against China's Wu Yibing. ## The Second-Set Pivot Point Alcaraz entered the night session seeking to build momentum after his straight-sets opening victory over Russia's Roman Safiullin. However, Faria pounced on early misfires to claim the first set 4-6. Rather than panicking, Alcaraz leaned on his trademark resilience—an attribute heavily molded by his idol Rafael Nadal—to reverse the tide. > It was a tough match for me. I felt great in the first set, but I didn't take time and that cost me, Alcaraz reflected after the match. After that I tried to be focused, stay calm and think the good things will happen. After navigating those two break points in the first game of the second set, Alcaraz raised his explosive forehand output, utilizing his Babolat Pure Aero 98 racket—customized to an unstrung weight of 310 grams with Babolat RPM Blast and RPM Team strings—to overwhelm Faria's defenses from the baseline. ## Physical Test and Forehand Recovery Questions surround Alcaraz's right wrist after missing nearly five months of action between mid-April and late August. Having struck 20 forehand winners in his first-round win over Safiullin, the Spaniard emphasized that he is no longer protecting his primary weapon. > I know once I step on the court, I've just got to go for it every time. I'm feeling great. There is no reason to be afraid and not hitting normal, Alcaraz stated. Rather than viewing the dropped set against Faria as a negative, the second seed viewed the four-set duration as a beneficial physical benchmark ahead of deeper rounds. > At the end, I realised that playing four sets was really good for me to test everything physically, to test my body, how I feel, and how I'm going to feel tomorrow after this match, he noted. ## Opening up an Unpredictable Draw Alcaraz's trajectory in New York takes place against a backdrop of major draw collapses and absences. Rival Jannik Sinner is sidelined due to injury, while 24-time major winner Novak Djokovic was eliminated in the first round by Argentina's Mariano Navone. Navone backed up that result in round two by defeating 2021 Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini in four sets. ### Key Men's Singles Second-Round Results - **Carlos Alcaraz (2)** d. Jaime Faria: 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 - **Mariano Navone** d. Matteo Berrettini: 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) - **Stefanos Tsitsipas** d. Arthur Fils (10): 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-1, 6-4 - **Bu Yunchaokete** d. Rafael Jodar (12): 6-2, 6-1, 6-1 - **Ben Shelton (8)** d. Hubert Hurkacz: 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (7-3), 7-5 - **Frances Tiafoe** d. Rei Sakamoto: 6-3, 7-6 (7-2), 7-5 - **Tommy Paul (20)** d. Dino Prizmic: 6-2, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 - **Alexander Bublik (15)** d. Adrian Mannarino: 6-3, 6-1, 6-1Tenth seed Arthur Fils, coming off a title in Cincinnati, squandered a set and 5-2 lead before falling to world No. 53 Stefanos Tsitsipas, while 12th seed Rafael Jodar suffered a heavy defeat against world No. 124 Bu Yunchaokete. ## Evidence-Led Forecast: Third-Round Encounter vs. Wu Yibing As the defending champion moves into the last 32, he meets Chinese world No. 113 Wu Yibing for a spot in the second week. **Likely Tactical Pattern:** Expect Alcaraz to establish front-foot position early, attacking Wu's second serve with high-spin forehands to force short returns. Having proven his wrist can absorb four sets of intense baseline exchanges against Faria, Alcaraz will likely blend deep heavy topspin with drop shots to displace Wu from the baseline. **Decisive Matchup:** Wu's second-serve delivery versus Alcaraz's return depth. If Wu fails to generate high first-serve percentages, Alcaraz's explosive return games will press the world No. 113 into unforced errors during long baseline rallies. **Strongest Counter-Case:** If Alcaraz experiences another cold starting stint similar to his opening set against Faria, Wu could capitalize on early service breaks and force the Spaniard into a extended contest. **What Would Change the Read:** Any lingering physical soreness or wrist stiffness reported by Alcaraz during practice sessions following his four-set duel against Faria would alter the expectation of a quick win, forcing a more conservative baseline tactic. ## Sources - [tennis-point.com](https://www.tennis-point.com/collections/player-carlos-alcaraz) — original - [bbc.co.uk](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/articles/cqjkdnv729jo) — original - [irishtimes.com](https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/tennis/2026/08/31/carlos-alcaraz-makes-confident-return-with-us-open-first-round-win/) — original