India, Sept. 10 -- Carlos Alcaraz was never the overwhelming favourite at the US Open 2026. For a man who was out injured for more than five months, and had no match practice until his first appearance right in New York, the expectation was always a stretch. Even history never favoured his chances - no men's singles player has won the US Open after skipping both the Canadian Open and Cincinnati in the Open Era. Yet, the stunning straight-set win against Tommy Paul in the round of 16 had many believing it could be a possibility. And then, an evening later, Alcaraz crashed out.

In a battle of raw physicality, in front of an electric New York crowd on their feet, roaring and screaming even at 3:33 am when the five-set thriller ended, Ben Sh...