The Aporia · Carlos Alcaraz had no clue who he was facing next at US Open in hilarious moment: ‘Oh my god’

Carlos Alcaraz had no clue who he was facing next at US Open in hilarious moment: ‘Oh my god’

Read the original at New York Post ↗

Cite

APA MLA Chicago

Arnold, C. (2026, September 7). Carlos Alcaraz had no clue who he was facing next at US Open in hilarious moment: ‘Oh my god’. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2026/09/06/sports/carlos-alcaraz-had-no-idea-who-he-was-facing-in-us-open-quarterfinals/

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

Quick Summary

Carlos Alcaraz, a tennis star, appeared on ESPN after defeating Tommy Paul and was asked about his potential next opponent, Stefanos Tsitsipas or Ben Shelton. However, he initially thought he was facing Daniil Medvedev or Frances Tiafoe, showing confusion before realizing the actual situation. In the end, Shelton won against Tsitsipas in straight sets to advance to the quarterfinals and face Alcaraz. Alcaraz has expressed excitement about the upcoming match against Shelton, acknowledging his opponent's power and ability to use the crowd to his advantage.

Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-07, using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the same event (that is the story summary below).

AI analysis runs on qwen2.5:14b, locally

Story summary

Tommy Paul of the US had a chance to get revenge against Carlos Alcaraz in their quarterfinal match at the US Open. However, Alcaraz, who has been out for four months with a wrist injury, dominated Paul in straight sets (6-4, 6-3, 6-4). This victory extends Alcaraz's winning streak to 18 and keeps him on track for back-to-back titles at the US Open. Alcaraz also becomes one win away from improving his record against American players at Grand Slams to 13-0. Aryna Sabalenka, the top-ranked player, also advanced to the quarterfinals by defeating Taylor Townsend in straight sets (6-4, 6-3).

Written for “US Open Tennis Quarterfinals” on 2026-10-22, grounded in this article and the 19 other(s) covering the same event.

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 0% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.

Tommy Paul has revenge on the mind ahead of Carlos Alcaraz rematch at US Open same event · 100%

New York Post

⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 0% hedged 0 of 19 📰 publisher trust 66

“Both articles are reporting on a tennis match between Tommy Paul and Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open, with different aspects of the event covered by each article.”

US Open tennis 2026: Tiafoe beats Medvedev, Alcaraz sees off Paul, Sabalenka and Noskova win on day eight – live same event · 100%

The Guardian

⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 0% hedged 0 of 69 📰 publisher trust 69

“Both articles report on the US Open tennis tournament, mentioning the same players (Tiafoe and Alcaraz) and their respective matches, which occurred on the same day”

Alcaraz breezes into last eight at US Open same event · 100%

Al Jazeera

⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 0% hedged 0 of 19 📰 publisher trust 60

“Both articles report on Carlos Alcaraz's victory over Tommy Paul at the US Open, with one article describing the match itself and the other reporting on a humorous moment from Alcaraz's post-match interview.”

Forehand rocket shows Carlos Alcaraz back to 'full power' in US Open win same event · 100%

ABC News (AU)

⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 0% hedged 0 of 21 📰 publisher trust 68

“Both articles describe Carlos Alcaraz's US Open fourth round win over Tommy Paul, with Article A providing more details about the match and its outcome, while Article B highlights a humorous moment from an interview after the match.”

Carlos Alcaraz takes it up a level as he reaches US Open quarter-final same event · 100%

The Guardian

⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 7% hedged 2 of 30 📰 publisher trust 69

“Both articles describe Carlos Alcaraz's quarter-final match at the US Open, specifically his win over Tommy Paul and his discussion about his next opponent.”

Defending champions Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz reach the US Open quarterfinals same event · 100%

Toronto Star

⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 3% hedged 1 of 39 📰 publisher trust 63

“Both articles report on Carlos Alcaraz's win over Tommy Paul at the US Open, and his subsequent mention of his potential next opponents”

Ben Shelton looks primed for more at US Open after breezing into quarterfinals — with big roadblock ahead same event · 100%

New York Post

⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 7% hedged 2 of 28 📰 publisher trust 66

“Both articles report on Ben Shelton's US Open quarterfinals victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas, with Article A describing Alcaraz's confusion about his next opponent and Article B detailing Shelton's dominating performance”

Both report: Both articles are reporting on the US Open quarterfinals match between Ben Shelton and Stefanos Tsitsipas, with both players advancing to the next round.
This one adds: Article A focuses on Carlos Alcaraz's confusion about his next opponent after defeating Tommy Paul in the previous round, highlighting a humorous moment where he seemed unaware of who he was facing next. There is no mention of Ben Shelton or Stefanos Tsitsipas in this article.
The other adds: Article B focuses on Ben Shelton's dominating performance against Stefanos Tsitsipas, highlighting his ability to get into return games and put pressure on his opponent. This article does not mention Carlos Alcaraz at all.
Framing: Both articles are assertive in their narratives, with Article A predicting that if Alcaraz repeats his past success he would be the first men's player to do so in under two decades, and Article B predicting that if Shelton continues to play well, he could end a drought.

Carlos Alcaraz’s layoff no problem as he steamrolls American star into US Open quarterfinals same event · 100%

New York Post

⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 4% hedged 1 of 24 📰 publisher trust 66

“Both articles report on Carlos Alcaraz's win over Tommy Paul in the Round of 16 at the US Open, on the same date and day”

Both report: Both articles are about Carlos Alcaraz's win over Tommy Paul in the Round of 16 at the US Open on the same date and day, indicating that they are covering the same event.
This one adds: The first article focuses on a humorous moment where Alcaraz seemed unaware of his next opponent, while the second article does not mention this incident. Instead, it highlights Alcaraz's ability to perform well despite his recent layoff due to a wrist injury.
The other adds: The second article provides more information about Alcaraz's layoff and its potential impact on his performance, as well as his goal of becoming the first men's singles player to repeat in Flushing in just under two decades. Additionally, it includes a quote from Alcaraz reflecting on his game.
Framing: Both articles present Alcaraz's win as a significant achievement, but the second article frames it within the context of his recent layoff and its potential implications for his career, while the first article focuses more on the lighthearted moment where he seemed unaware of his next opponent.

Shelton, Tiafoe and Michelsen win at the US Open as American men aim to end a Grand Slam drought same event · 100%

Toronto Star

⚖️ Leans right 🔴 0% hedged 0 of 26 📰 publisher trust 63

“Both articles describe Carlos Alcaraz's quarterfinal match at the US Open, with Article A showing his reaction to not knowing who he was facing and Article B announcing the actual opponent, Ben Shelton.”

Both report: The two articles describe Carlos Alcaraz's quarterfinal match at the US Open, with Article A showing his reaction to not knowing who he was facing and Article B announcing the actual opponent, Ben Shelton.
This one adds: Article A provides a quote from Alcaraz expressing his surprise at not knowing his next opponent, whereas Article B does not mention Alcaraz's reaction or any related quote. Instead, it focuses on other players' victories in the US Open.
The other adds: Article B provides additional context about Ben Shelton, including that he is 22 years old and from California, as well as details about his previous match against Tomas Etcheverry. It also mentions Frances Tiafoe's victory and sets up a potential quarterfinal matchup between Tiafoe and Alex Michelsen.
Framing: Article A presents Alcaraz's reaction to not knowing his opponent in a lighthearted and humorous tone, with the headline "hilarious moment." Article B, on the other hand, reports on multiple players' victories and sets up potential future matchups without drawing attention to any particular player's reaction or personality.

Alcaraz says 'I leave with a smile' after epic US Open loss to Shelton same event · 100%

Toronto Star

⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 0% hedged 0 of 41 📰 publisher trust 63

“Both articles describe Carlos Alcaraz's loss at the US Open, with Article A describing him being unaware of his next opponent and Article B describing his actual match against Ben Shelton.”

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted

sentences that state something as happening or true

Uncertain

0 of 18 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")

Leaning

not political

takes no side on a contested political question

Publisher signals

66/100

New York Post's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.

Outlets on this story

Sports

Same framing elsewhere

articles that frame the event the way this one does

Who wrote this

Christian Arnold

135 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction

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Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

All 135 articles by Christian Arnold →

Claims (18 extracted, 0 hedged)

Sometimes it’s easy to lose track of things when you’re as busy as Carlos Alcaraz. asserted

you → ’ → Alcaraz

The tennis star seemed not to be aware of which match he should be keeping an eye on for his next opponent while he was appearing on ESPN after defeating American Tommy Paul in order to advance to the quarterfinals. asserted

he → seem → quarterfinals

The Spaniard was asked by Andy Roddick to talk about his potential opponents at the time, either Stefanos Tsitsipas or Ben Shelton. asserted

Spaniard → ask → time

After a second of confusion, Alcaraz realized what happened. asserted

what → realize → confusion

“Oh my god, I thought I was playing [Daniil] Medvedev-[Frances] Tiafoe,” he said shocked. asserted

he → think → Tiafoe

The whole situation created a good laugh among the panel on the ESPN set, situated just outside Arthur Ashe Stadium. asserted

situation → create → Stadium

He did try to discuss the two tennis players, but Roddick’s laughter made it quite difficult to continue with the conversation. asserted

it → try → conversation

Finally, he was asked, “you’re going to watch the match tonight?” asserted

you → ask → match

“For sure I’m going to watch it,” he said while the laughter continued. asserted

laughter → go → it

Shelton went on to win in straight sets over Tsitsipas to punch his ticket to the quarterfinals and a date with Alcaraz. asserted

Shelton → go → Alcaraz

By the time he spoke with reporters, it seemed that Alcaraz had everything sorted out and had discussed the idea of playing his next opponent. asserted

everything → speak → opponent

“If it is Shelton, really powerful player,” he said. asserted

he → say → ?

“I think he use the crowd, the people behind him, especially when he’s playing here at home. asserted

he → think → home

I’m excited about playing the quarterfinal, either if it is against one or other. asserted

it → ’m → one

So I’ve got to be ready. asserted

I → get → ?

I’m going to watch it, and I’ll be ready for that.” asserted

I → go → that

Alcaraz is looking to repeat as U.S. Open champion after he defeated Jannik Sinner in the last year’s finals. asserted

he → look → finals

If he does repeat, he would be the first men’s player to do so in just under two decades. asserted

he → repeat → decades

Carlos Alcaraz had no clue who he was facing next at US Open in hilarious moment: ‘Oh my god’

Quick Summary

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Claims (18 extracted, 0 hedged)