Preview: US Open: Mattia Bellucci vs. Carlos Alcaraz - prediction, head-to-head, tournament so far

Fresh off claiming a 19th consecutive first-round win at a Grand Slam, a new-look Carlos Alcaraz faces Mattia Bellucci in the US Open second round on Wednesday, aiming to continue his quest to reclaim the No. 1 ranking.

The five-time Slam champion defeated serve-bot Reilly Opelka in straight sets to set up a first meeting on the ATP Tour with the Italian lefty, who overcame Shang Juncheng to reach round two for a second consecutive year.

Match preview

Alcaraz may have revealed that his new haircut was a consequence of his brother’s slip, but there was no stumbling on the court in defeating Opelka in three sets.

The big-serving American player might have outdone the No. 2 seed in aces — 14-4 — and winners — 33-23 — but the 2022 US Open champion landed 69% of his first serves, won a staggering 86% of points on his first deal and 65% on seconds, all superior to the home player's 16%, 75% and 41%, respectively.

More strikingly, the 23-year-old secured three breaks of serve to Opelka's none en route to a 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 victory in two hours and five minutes.

By achieving this, Alcaraz has now won 19 consecutive first-round matches at Grand Slam tournaments since his debut at the Majors in 2021, mirroring the achievements of Bjorn Borg and Rafael Nadal.

The second seed's ambitious goal of overtaking Sinner at the top of men's tennis is something he seems prepared for, and he will look to avoid another stumble in round two to put last year's surprise exit to Botic van de Zandschulp behind him.

Bellucci aims to inflict consecutive second-round defeats on the world No. 2, seeking to reach the third round in New York for the first time after making it to this stage 12 months ago.

After beating three-time Grand Slam champion Stanislas Wawrinka, the Italian fell to Christopher O'Connell in four sets in the second round, a match remembered for the left-handed world No. 65 saving 14 of 18 break points before eventually losing.

This year, he faces the co-tournament favourite Alcaraz, who has reached seven consecutive finals on the men's tour, and it will be fascinating to see if Bellucci matches David Goffin as the next man to beat the Spaniard before a title match.

If the Italian player's opening-round victory over Shang is any indication, that ambition would require playing cleaner tennis, as 53 unforced errors to his opponent's 61 highlighted the mistake-strewn victory.

The fact that the Chinese player retired further magnifies Bellucci's error-laden showing, and a repeat is unlikely to bring any change from the five-time Slam champion.

Tournament so far

Mattia Bellucci:

First round: vs. Shang Juncheng 7-6(0) 1-6 6-3 3-0

Carlos Alcaraz:

First round: vs. Reilly Opelka 6-4 7-5 6-4

Head To Head

While Alcaraz and Bellucci faced off on the Challenger Tour, a match comfortably claimed by the Spaniard in straight sets, both men are competing for the first time on the men's tour.

Alcaraz enters the match with a tour-leading 55 wins this year, boasting a 55-6 record in 2025, which is significantly better than the world No. 65's 10-14 record.

Since losing to Jack Draper at Indian Wells, the world No. 2 has secured four consecutive victories over left-handed opponents, defeating Draper in Rome and Giullio Zeppieri and Ben Shelton at Roland Garros.

We say: Alcaraz to win in three sets

Alcaraz’s fluctuating level in performance means he could either win this in straight sets or drop a set en route to a four-set victory.

Bellucci might elevate his game on Wednesday, but the 24-year-old is unlikely to cause an upset against the Spaniard, who is expected to secure a comfortable win and avoid a repeat of last year’s early exit in New York.