AFP, New York :
Rafael Nadal fell to his earliest US Open loss in six years on Monday when he was knocked out by Frances Tiafoe while Carlos Alcaraz survived a five-set epic to reach a second successive quarter-final in a tie which finished at 2:23a.m. on Tuesday.
Four-time US Open champion Nadal, bidding for a 23rd Grand Slam title, lost 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the last-16 to 26th-ranked Tiafoe.
The American’s big-hitting performance conjured up 18 aces and 49 winners past a sluggish Nadal.
For Australian and French Open champion Nadal, it was a first Grand Slam loss of 2022 after an abdominal strain forced him to forfeit his Wimbledon semi- final.
His defeat came just a day after world number one and defending champion Daniil Medvedev was knocked out by Nick Kyrgios.
