CINCINNATI – Second seed Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the fourth round of the Cincinnati Open with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Serbia’s Hamad Medjedovic on Tuesday, marking his 50th win of the season. The triumph also extends his streak to four consecutive years with 50-plus wins, a feat last achieved by Novak Djokovic between 2013 and 2016.
Alcaraz, who will next face Italian lucky loser Luca Nardi, produced a far more polished performance than in his opening match against Damir Dzumhur, where he struggled through a three-set battle. He credited his game plan of forcing Medjedovic to run for his success, exploiting the Serbian’s weaker movement despite his powerful serve and forehand.
The Spaniard returned to competition after a short summer break, which included a week off from training in El Puerto de Santa Maria, followed by two weeks of preparation in El Palmar, Murcia. “When I’m off, I’m off,” he joked, admitting he avoided the gym entirely during his vacation.
Medjedovic, 22, the 2023 Next Gen ATP Finals champion, showed flashes of danger but lacked the conditioning and consistency to match Alcaraz’s sustained intensity. Apart from a brief loss of serve in the second set, Alcaraz maintained control throughout.
In other matches, Coco Gauff progressed to the women’s fourth round via walkover after Dayana Yastremska withdrew due to illness.
Discussion about this post