Carlos Alcaraz Left Flustered After Andy Roddick’s Unexpected US Open Question

After defeating Tommy Paul in R16, Carlos Alcaraz has made it to yet another quarterfinal at Flushing Meadows, looking ready to defend his title. But when he sat down for an interview with Andy Roddick and ESPN, he had a surprise waiting for him.

“Carlos, I’m sure your eyes will be on the match with Shelton and Tsitsipas. Maybe just a quick word on the challenges that both of them could bring,” asked Roddick. But the World No.3 was surprised as to why he was getting asked about Shelton or Tsitsipas.

Roddick then said, “You’re either going to play Shelton or Tsitsipas.” Alcaraz looked clueless and said, “Oh my god.”

Roddick himself looked shocked and said, “Surprise. You’re Welcome.” The Spaniard didn’t know what to say and replied, “I didn’t seem to know. Oh my God, all right.”

Carlos Alcaraz had one of the funniest moments on TV when he thought that Frances Tiafoe was waiting next, but Andy Roddick revealed it was either Shelton or Tsitsipas.

After the surprise, Alcaraz did say that he would watch the upcoming match and get ready. Meanwhile, Tiafoe was able to cause a shock by beating World No.7 Daniil Medvedev, setting up a quarterfinal against fellow American Alex Michelsen.

But with the form Alcaraz is in, there is very little reason to worry. In the 4 rounds he has played so far, Alcaraz has dropped only one set in the 2nd round against Jaime Faria.

Since then, he has not dropped a set and has even taken down his opponents easily. He beat Wu Yibing 6-3, 6-4, 6-1. He did the same against Tommy Paul in the Round of 16, beating him 6-4, 6-3, 6-4.

But it might not be a walk in the park when he gets onto the court to face Ben Shelton. If we look at how these two players play their games, it is the complete opposite. While the Spaniard likes to construct his game and physically outplay the opponent, the World No.9 likes to go at the opponent from the serve and tries to avoid long rallies.

And we can see that because the average rally for the American is 3 to 3.5 shots. Not only does Shelton like to keep his rallies short, but he also likes to take points from his first serve. The American wins points on 72% of his 1st serves, but that number drops to 55% when it’s the 2nd serve.

Although he hasn’t beaten Alcaraz, Shelton does have experience in beating top players like Frances Tiafoe, Daniil Medvedev, and Jannik Sinner. He also beat Tsitsipas in the Round of 16 of this US Open in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3, and 6-4. And with Shelton playing at home, he might be more of a challenge than Alcaraz’s previous opponents.

Carlos Alcaraz now believes he can defend his title

Carlos Alcaraz is into the US Open quarter-finals after beating Tommy Paul 6-4, 6-3, 6-4. The defending champion will now face Ben Shelton, who brushed aside Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets.

After 4 rounds, Alcaraz has gone from protecting his wrist to believing he can defend his title.

That confidence is striking because Alcaraz arrived after nearly 4 months away with a wrist injury. He had no idea how his wrist would respond when facing tough opponents under New York’s bright lights.

“At the beginning of the tournament I didn’t have any expectations,” Alcaraz said after reaching the quarter-finals.

But with each win, it has given Alcaraz more than enough reason to trust his body and game. Against Paul, he stayed aggressive through long exchanges before closing points with his forehand.

“After four really good matches, now I feel capable of winning the tournament,” Alcaraz admitted after a convincing performance.

There is also one small piece of superstition following Alcaraz into his Shelton clash. Every previous Grand Slam win over Paul has been followed by Alcaraz lifting that tournament’s trophy. That happened at Wimbledon 2024, Roland Garros 2025, and the Australian Open 2026.  And now he has the chance to do the same in New York.

But Shelton will be a tougher test, so Alcaraz will need his wrist and game ready again.

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