U.S. Open: Stefanos Tsitsipas stunned by unseeded 18-year-old Carlos Alcaraz

There was no escape from Alcaraz for Stefanos Tsitsipas on Friday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Carlos Alcaraz, an 18-year-old from Spain who was already recognized as a rising star, pulled off a massive upset when he ousted Tsitsipas, the No. 3 seed, in five sets that had the crowd embracing him the way only a New York crowd can.

This will be seen as a classic U.S. Open match, one in which a star was born and burned so brightly and where the crowd, returning this year after the 2020 tournament was played on pandemic-empty courts, seemed to carry its new-found favorite to victory.

The final score was 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (2), 0-6, 7-6 (5) in 4 hours and 7 minutes of pure U.S. Open drama. Alcaraz became the youngest player to beat a top- three ranked player at the Open. Pete Sampras was 19 when he beat Ivan Lendl in 1990.

"I have not words to explain how I feeling right now," Alcaraz said. "I just don't know what happened out there in the court. I can't believe that I beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in an epic match."

He rode the energy of the frenzied crowd.

"The crowd was behind me all the time, supporting me, pushing me up in every moment," Alcaraz said. "It surprise me, yeah, really."

And to think this young talent, after winning the first set, lost the next one and was down 5-2 and two breaks in the third as Tsitsipas seemed to be taking command. But Alcaraz got those two breaks back and went on to win the tiebreak.

Tsitsipas took a bathroom break after the third, as he has been wont to do after losing a set, and the crowd booed him mildly as he left the court. His bathroom breaks have been the subject of criticism from Andy Murray and Alexander Zverev, and the crowd has bought into it. But this was a relatively short break and when he came back he steamrolled his way to a victory in the fourth.

At the end of the fourth Alcaraz took a medical timeout to have his lower back and right leg and thigh worked on and was given some medicine by a doctor. When he took the court the crowd was roaring for him.

Displaying both forehand and backhand power, great speed and anticipation and a magical drop shot that gave Tsitsipas fits the whole match, Alcaraz gained another tiebreak and was on top of it the whole way, whacking a forehand winner for match point.

"In the beginning of the first set, came really strong. Ball speed was incredible," said Tsitsipas, who was given a code violation for coaching in the third set tiebreak. "I’ve never seen someone hit the ball so hard. Took time to adjust."

And while he did, it just wasn’t enough.

"I felt like he played the fifth [set] completely — the way he played the first set basically, careless, going for every single shot," Tsitsipas. said. "I have never seen someone play such a good fifth set, honestly."

Tsitsipas wasn’t expecting Alcaraz to pick himself up after being bageled in the fourth set.

"Just being so much in control, which was surprising, especially in the fifth set," Tsitsipas said. "I didn't expect him to raise his level so much, especially after having lost the fourth set this way. He was a completely different player. I don't know if the physio helped him or anything, but he seemed to be another player." Alcaraz was No. 55 in the world entering the Open, having one at least one match at the three other Grand Slams.

His ranking, and his future, are taking a rocket ride.