Best Round of 16 matches, why they matter

Ben Shelton didn't leave the court at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center until 2:15 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 5, and by Sunday, he's supposed to be ready to go again in the US Open Round of 16. That's the kind of turnaround that can make or break a tournament.

Carlos Alcaraz, the two-time defending champion, is just three matches into his return after missing three months with a wrist injury. Aryna Sabalenka and Taylor Townsend have never played each other. Emma Navarro just beat a Wimbledon finalist without dropping a game. Jessica Pegula lost a set 6-1 and still made it through.

They all take the court Sunday, Sept. 6 at Flushing Meadows . Five matches stand out, and here's what's actually at stake in each one:

No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz vs. No. 20 Tommy Paul

■ Day session in Arthur Ashe Stadium

Alcaraz completed the career Grand Slam in January by winning the Australian Open at age 22. He hasn't been the same since, withdrawing from a tournament in Barcelona in April with a wrist injury that also prevented him from contesting the French Open, where he was the two-time reigning champion, and Wimbledon. The US Open is his comeback. Paul, seeded 20th, is into his second week on home soil with a New York crowd behind him.

No. 8 Ben Shelton vs. Stefanos Tsitsipas

■ Night session in Arthur Ashe Stadium

Shelton got off the court at 2:15 a.m. Saturday morning – the latest finish of his career – after needing four sets and a big second-set comeback to beat Denis Shapovalov in a third-round match that began Friday evening. He's had roughly a day and a half to recover. Tsitsipas, unseeded but capable of big matches after reaching the finals of the French Open in 2021 and the Australian Open in 2023, gets him at less than full strength.

No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka vs. Taylor Townsend

■ Day session in Arthur Ashe Stadium

These two have never played each other, at any level. Townsend is serving at a level that even surprised her in her first two matches, winning 92% of her first-serve points. She knocked out No. 5 seed Mirra Andreeva at this tournament last year and No. 15 seed Diana Shnaider in the third round Friday, so an upset isn't out of the question. Sabalenka, the two-rime reigning US Open champion, has dropped just eight games total in three matches this tournament.

No. 26 Emma Navarro vs. No. 21 Anna Kalinskaya

■ Night session in Arthur Ashe Stadium

Navarro beat Karolina Muchova, a Wimbledon finalist and the No. 7 seed, 6-3, 7-5, and made it look simple. She's 6-0 on the Grandstand court at the US Open over two years now.

No. 3 Jessica Pegula vs. No. 16 Sorana Cristea

■ Night session in Louis Armstrong Stadium

Pegula lost the first set to Leylah Fernandez 6-1 before turning it around and finishing her off in the third round Friday. She blamed her feet and said she had a lazy start. Cristea beat a shakier Jasmine Paolini, the No. 19 seed, in straight sets. Pegula won't be able to get away with a slow start against Cristea.

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