Historic surprise at the US Open, thanks to "a magic medicine"

His manager publicly claimed, indignant, that his client would seriously consider suing Roland Garros for the accident suffered during training that caused him to leave Paris relying on crutches. He sprained his ankle, unable to compete in the second round of his debut.

The blame for everything was a tarp of the kind used to close the slopes in case of rain. It was not folded well, the Belgian Alexander Blockx He got tangled in it and had no luck.

This young man is 1.93 meters tall, with a serve and forehand that he already taught in Madrid, reaching the semifinals. An excellent project for a tennis player who has taken advantage of the land of opportunities that the upper part of the draw has become, chaired by the German Alexander Zverev in which the other favorites did not perform according to their world order.

The Argentine tennis player Francisco Cerúndolo, knocked down in the round of 16 by Alexander BlockxCRISTOBAL HERRERA-ULASHKEVICH / EFE

Blockx, 21 years old and world number 34 (currently up to 26th place), defeated the Argentine Francisco Cerúndolo28 years old and number 25, executioner of Taylor Fritz coming back from two sets down. The European won 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 and 7-5, waiting for a rival in the duel between the Russian Karen Khachanov and the American Learner Tien.

Alexander Blockx, of Belgium, celebrates winning a match against Francisco Cerundolo, of Argentina, during the fourth round of the US Open tennis championships, Monday, Sept. 7, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki) — Alexander Blockx, to the quarterfinals of the US Open 2026Andres Kudacki / Ap-LaPresse

A complete surprise at the US Open, in only his third Grand Slam competition. He had won only one match before reaching the quarterfinals of the US Open. Historic, first Belgian to achieve it in this men’s tournament, eighth for his country in Grand Slam. The youngest.

And all this at its premiere on the center court in New York. “I set foot on this for the first time Arthur Ashe Stadium this morning in the warm-up.” Also, with physical problems. “I felt a lot of pain in a rib. From the beginning, even if he won the first set. The doctor came and the medicine he gave me was magical, the pain disappeared,” he said on the court.

Blockx, another young man to keep in mind, who is growing alongside his colleagues Zizou Bergs or Raphael Collignonwho are forming a dangerous Davis Cup team, one of the objectives of all of them. Women’s tennis has had more strength with the champions Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin.