Carlos Alcaraz's elimination at the US Open came to expand a double story related to Roger Federer. The young Spaniard, who was one of the favorites for the title, failed to advance in the competition, which kept alive a unique statistic in tennis history.
Federer continues to be the only player to have won a Grand Slam tournament on his return to competition after a long break. This feat remains unmatched by any other tennis player over the years.
Moreover, since 2008, the year Federer won his fifth and last US Open title, no one has managed to defend the title at Flushing Meadows. This sequence was maintained after Alcaraz's elimination, who could have been a candidate to break this record.
