"This is just shark after shark";"Carlos Alcaraz always gets the easiest draw" - Fans react to Spaniard's US Open 2024 draw
Carlos Alcaraz has been handed a rather tricky draw at the 2024 US Open, one that has left tennis fans with mixed emotions. Alcaraz comes into Flushing Meadows after an opening-round exit at the Cincinnati Open, the only warm-up tournament he played on hardcourts ahead of the New York Major.
At the US Open, the World No. 3 is drawn to face a qualifier in the first round, following which he will likely face former top 10 player Denis Shapovalov in the second round. In the third round, he is expected to face British No. 1 Jack Draper, followed by a potential fourth-round battle against America's Sebastian Korda.
Finally, in the semifinals, he is expected to face either World No. 1 Jannik Sinner or World No. 5 Daniil Medvedev, with a potential final against 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic.
For the most part, fans on social media thought that it was a tough ask of the 21-year-old, with many believing that he had a more difficult draw when compared to Djokovic and Sinner.
"Fam this is just shark after shark," one fan said.
"He’s prob got the hardest draw out the top 3," another wrote.
"Compared to Djokovic, looks very tough," one fan commented.
At the same time, some fans opined that it was not so tough after all, stating that Carlos Alcaraz has enough time early on to find his rhythm before the draw starts getting trickier.
"He always gets the easiest draw," one fan said.
"Carlos Alcaraz's draw tough? Be serious," another wrote.
"Carlos draw not so bad honestly, it’s gets tricky after the QFs for him, this draw gives him time to build his game till the 2nd week," one fan tweeted.
Carlos Alcaraz is a former champion at the US Open
Carlos Alcaraz is one of the former champions in the men's singles draw at the 2024 US Open, along with Novak Djokovic, Dominic Thiem and Daniil Medvedev. He won the trophy in New York in 2022, defeating Casper Ruud in the final to win his maiden Grand Slam title.
Last year, the Spaniard made it as far as the semifinals before falling to eventual runner-up Daniil Medvedev. This time around, Alcaraz will come to New York having won the last two Majors on the trot, with trophy runs at the French Open and Wimbledon helping cement his legacy on the ATP Tour.