In brief
Carlos Alcaraz defeated Jiri Lehecka in straight sets to advance to the semi-finals of the 2025 US Open. He expressed his desire to entertain the crowd with his playstyle, showcasing remarkable shot-making to secure the victory at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
US Open 2025
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Dates: 24 August-7 September
Coverage: Live radio commentaries across 5 Live Sport and BBC Sounds, plus live text commentaries on the BBC Sport website & app
Carlos Alcaraz says he is here to entertain after producing another brilliant performance to beat Jiri Lehecka and reach the US Open semi-finals.
The Spaniard took less than two hours to beat the Czech 6-4 6-2 6-4 at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York.
The five-time Grand Slam winner laid down an early marker by breaking world number 21 Lehecka in the opening game and displayed a laser-like focus throughout the match.
But Alcaraz still found time for some showmanship during the victory, thrilling the crowd with his astonishing repertoire of shot-making.
He stated, Sometimes I play a shot that I should not play in that moment but it's the way I love playing tennis. I want to play solid, play well and play smart but at the same time when I have the opportunity to play a great shot - or a hot shot, let's say - why not? I'm here to entertain the people, myself and the team.
Second seed Alcaraz will either face fourth seed Taylor Fritz or 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic for a place in the final.
Lehecka, the 20th seed, double faulted twice in his opening service game to hand Alcaraz the early break. Despite the nightmare start, the Czech settled into the match, and by the time Alcaraz closed out the first set there was reason to believe he could mount some form of challenge. However, Lehecka dropped serve on his opening service game once again to give his Spanish opponent an early advantage.
Alcaraz lost just six points on his serve during the second set. After moving into a two-set lead, he relaxed even further and stunned supporters during the third set with a forehand drop-shot on the slide that left Lehecka rooted to the baseline.
This victory marks the third time Alcaraz, who won the US Open in 2022, has reached the semi-finals in New York. He has reached the last four of a Grand Slam without dropping a set for the first time in his career - and is the youngest man to do so since Rafael Nadal at the 2008 French Open.
