The second seed Carlos Alcaraz recovered from a slow start to defeat Portugal’s Jaime Faria 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 in the US Open Round of 64 at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The hardcourt battle flipped after the first set, with Alcaraz’s return and second-serve superiority driving a clear turnaround.

Across four sets, Alcaraz won 22 games to Faria’s 11 and finished with a 125–86 edge in total points. The match had no tiebreaks, but it did have one very decisive statistic that told the story: second-serve points.

Early jolt: Faria’s first set built on first serves

Faria came out clean and confident, taking the opener 6-4. He landed 67% of first serves in that set and won 82% of those points, a level Alcaraz could not match early. On return, Faria was sharp against the first delivery too, claiming 39% of first-serve return points. The mini margins mattered, and Faria converted the only break he needed while saving the one break point he faced. He also edged the service battle with 24 service points won to Alcaraz’s 22 in the set.

Even with 3 double faults from Faria in the opener, Alcaraz could not capitalize enough. The second seed’s first-serve points won sat at 61% in the set, and he earned just 4 points on Faria’s first serve. Momentum-wise, Faria put together a 6-point burst, the longest run by either player in the opener. The scoreboard rewarded the more efficient server, and the match briefly tilted toward an upset.

Second-set shift: Alcaraz turns the screws on return

From 4-6 down, Alcaraz reset and produced a 6-0 set that changed everything. He won 29 points to 16 in the second, a swing built on return pressure and steadier serving. Faria’s double faults rose to 4 in the set and his second-serve output collapsed to 1 point won from 8. By contrast, Alcaraz won 6 of 7 points behind his own second serve in that stretch.

Return numbers underlined the flip. Alcaraz took 53% of first-serve return points and an overwhelming 87% on Faria’s second serve in set two. He converted all three break points he created and did not face one himself. The Spaniard also strung together a 6-point run as his baseline depth started forcing errors. A one-set deficit had turned into a one-set apiece platform, with momentum clearly on the side of the world No. 2.

The second-serve gap that steered the match

The third set followed a similar pattern, finishing 6-3 to Alcaraz. Again, second-serve performance proved the separator. Faria won just 1 of 8 points on his second serve in the set, while Alcaraz captured 5 of 8. That single lane consistently opened return games for the Spaniard. He saved 2 of 3 break points, converted 2 of his own, and kept control of the scoreboard.

Zooming out to the full match, the second-serve contrast was stark: Alcaraz won 70% of his second-serve points (28/40). Faria managed only 31% (15/49). First-serve success was almost level across the match, with Faria at 71% and Alcaraz at 72% on points won behind the first ball. But when rallies started from a second serve, Alcaraz held a decisive advantage. That gap drove a 51–30 edge in total return points won and largely explains the 7 breaks to 2 final tally.

Closing run: ruthless efficiency seals it in the fourth

The fourth set was Alcaraz at full throttle, ending 6-2 behind crisp serving and relentless returning. He won 91% of first-serve points in the set and a perfect 100% of points behind his second serve. On return, he allowed Faria only a single receiver point across the entire set. The Spaniard converted both break points he created and did not face one in reply.

Alcaraz’s longest burst of the match arrived here too, a 13-point run that broke resistance and settled the result. Faria’s first-serve percentage dipped to 46% in the set, and with zero points won on second-serve return he could not apply any pressure. The final two sets combined read 12 games to 5 for Alcaraz, a scoreboard that mirrors the underlying numbers. Once the second seed tightened up his serve plus one, the gulf in control was obvious.

Match totals: winners, errors and momentum by numbers

Alcaraz finished with more firepower and fewer mistakes. He struck 41 winners to Faria’s 26, with a heavy lean on the forehand at 30 winners. Faria posted 14 forehand winners and 7 on the backhand. Overall errors told a complementary story, with Faria at 44 and Alcaraz at 28. Unforced errors were closer, 36 for Faria and 30 for Alcaraz, but the Portuguese backhand was a trouble spot, reflected in 13 unforced and 29 total backhand errors.

On serve, Faria actually led in aces 5 to 3, but the 11 double faults hurt, especially during the middle of the match. Alcaraz protected his delivery better with just 4 doubles and saved 71% of break points faced. Across the match, Alcaraz won 22 games and 125 points, added a maximum run of 8 games in a row, and pocketed 51 receiver points. The scoreboard, and the stat sheet, matched up neatly.

As always, you can revisit every set and stat on the full match page on Sofascore. The sports platform tracks live scores, point-by-point updates and in-depth tennis numbers throughout the US Open. For fans who enjoy the story behind the scoreline, this one was all about second serves and timely breaks.