Carlos Alcaraz bounced back from a scare against Damir Dzumhur to comfortably beat his third-round opponent in Cincinnati.
Alcaraz was simply too good when it mattered against Hamad Međedović, winning the contest 6-4 6-4.
The Spaniard was broken only once during the contest, at 3-2 in the second set. However, he composed himself, before breaking straight back.
Alcaraz had struggled in his opening Cincinnati Open match, dropping the second set against Damir Dzumhur 2-6 before eventually winning the contest in three sets.
The Spaniard showed greater consistency in his third-round match, creating history in the process.
Carlos Alcaraz challenges Rafael Nadal and Pete Sampras
Carlos Alcaraz’s victory was not only a moment for the present; it transcended generations.
Alcaraz’s defeat of Međedović put the Spaniard in rarefied air alongside two greats of the game: Rafael Nadal and Pete Sampras.
Nadal won 22 Grand Slam singles titles during his career, including 14 French Open titles. Sampras won 14 Grand Slam singles titles, including seven Wimbledon titles; a record only Roger Federer has bettered.
As per OptaScore, since the ATP Tour’s inaugural season in 1990, Carlos Alcaraz has become the third-youngest player to achieve four consecutive 50-win seasons, older than only Pete Sampras and Rafael Nadal.
Alcaraz achieved the feat while aged 22 years and 94 days. He is the first player to achieve this since Novak Djokovic, who registered four consecutive 50-win seasons from 2013 to 2016.
Alcaraz’s feature in this conversation encapsulates his bottomless pool of talent and his remarkable maturity on and off the tennis court.
As an example, Alcaraz recently revealed it took him just hours to come to terms with his Wimbledon final loss to Jannik Sinner.
Carlos Alcaraz faces Luca Nardi in the Cincinnati Open fourth round
Alcaraz faces a tough opponent in the Cincinnati Open round of 16: Luca Nardi.
The 22-year-old Italian star has impressed so far this week, winning two rounds of qualifying before defeating Denis Shapovalov and Jakub Mensik on his way to the last 16.
Alcaraz and Nardi have played each other once before on the ATP Tour. The pair met earlier in 2025 at the Doha Open, with Alcaraz winning the round of 16 contest 6-1 4-6 6-3.
Alcaraz will need to be wary of the young Italian star, who has also beaten compatriot Flavio Cobolli in 2025.
