Paul, returning from injury this season, faces the ambitious Alcaraz in the Australian Open round of 16.

Tomorrow at 10:30 AM, in the 2026 Australian Open round of 16, world number one and versatile Spanish warrior Alcaraz will be challenged by the 20th-ranked American soldier Paul. Having recovered from injury this season, how much trouble will Paul cause the determined Alcaraz?

Born in May 1997 and turning professional in 2015, American player Paul emerged prominently from the 2022 season and became known as a nemesis of Spanish players on the tour. He reached the Grand Slam round of 16 for the first time at Wimbledon, made the Masters quarterfinals in Paris for the first time, and finished the year ranked 32nd. With a 9-1 record against Spanish opponents, after losing to Spanish legend Nadal in the Acapulco ATP 500 quarterfinals, he went on a nine-match winning streak against Spaniards, including saving a match point to defeat Alcaraz in the second round of the Rogers Cup in Canada and eliminating Nadal in the second round of the Paris Masters.

In the 2023 season, Paul stepped up further. He reached the Grand Slam semifinals for the first time at the Australian Open, made the Masters semifinals at the Rogers Cup in Canada for the first time, advanced to the round of 16 at the US Open, and ended the year ranked 13th. Before losing to Alcaraz in the Miami Masters round of 16, Paul had won three consecutive matches against Spanish players in 2023, extending a cross-season winning streak against Spaniards to 12 matches. At the Rogers Cup quarterfinals, he continued his dominance by defeating Alcaraz for the second consecutive year at the same event.

In 2024, Paul maintained his consistent performance, reaching the semifinals at Indian Wells and Rome Masters, the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, and the round of 16 at the US Open. He claimed two ATP 250 titles and one ATP 500 title, bringing his career total to four championships, and finished the year ranked 12th. On January 27, 2025, after reaching the Australian Open quarterfinals, Paul broke into the top ten for the first time, ranked ninth. Following semifinal appearances at the Rome Masters and quarterfinals at Roland Garros, on June 9, Paul achieved a career-high world ranking of eighth.

Paul’s all-around skills and strong competitiveness have earned him respect among ATP tour players. Serbian star Djokovic commented, “He is a very complete player, extremely energetic and quick. His serve is excellent, and he likes to step inside the court to control points with his forehand; his backhand is also solid.” Alcaraz, who lost to Paul consecutively at the Rogers Cup in 2022 and 2023, said, “Paul has outstanding talent, excelling on all surfaces and in every aspect. His movement and both forehand and backhand are excellent — very well-rounded. Every match against him is tough.”

So far in their careers, Alcaraz and Paul have met seven times, with Alcaraz leading five wins to two losses. Since Alcaraz’s three-set victory in the 2023 Cincinnati Masters round of 16, he has won four consecutive matches against Paul spanning three seasons. As Alcaraz himself said, “Every match against him is tough.” At the 2024 Wimbledon quarterfinals, after losing the first set 5-7, Alcaraz rallied to win the next three sets and advance.

During the 2025 French Open, despite struggling with a foot injury, Paul reached the Roland Garros quarterfinals for the first time in his career and achieved his highest ranking. After the French Open, he suffered an abdominal muscle strain and had to withdraw from defending his title at the ATP 500 Queen’s Club tournament in London. He twisted his ankle in the second round at Wimbledon and lost in the third round at the US Open. Subsequently, Paul announced an early end to his 2025 season due to injury, finishing the year ranked 20th.

In the 2026 season, Paul made a comeback from injury. He lost his opening match at the ATP 250 Brisbane event but then won two consecutive matches to reach the semifinals at the ATP 250 Adelaide tournament. After the Australian Open began, Paul’s form improved as he won three straight matches, setting up his eighth career meeting with Alcaraz. Known as a Spanish player’s nemesis on tour, Paul recently defeated Spanish player Fokina in the third round of the 2026 Australian Open, then faces another Spaniard, Alcaraz, in the round of 16. So, how much trouble will the 20th-ranked Paul, returning from injury this season, cause Alcaraz? And how will the ambitious world number one Alcaraz defend the honor of Spanish players? Tomorrow morning, we will find out.

(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Qicai Doufen)