US Open 2026: The sweet reason behind Carlos Alcaraz's 'bow-and-arrow' celebration

Carlos Alcaraz unleashed a new celebration after his latest wins at the US Open

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz of Spain made a statement in his third-round win over China’s Wu Yibing at the US Open 2026, closing it out 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 to reach the second week at Flushing Meadows without much trouble on the scoreboard. It is his tenth straight win at the event and his 17th in a row at majors.

For a player who had not taken the court since April due to a wrist injury, this comeback has so far been close to seamless. There was still a small crack in the performance, though. Of his 33 unforced errors against Wu, 19 came off the forehand, the same shot that had raised questions about his wrist all week.

The Spaniard brushed off any lingering doubt, insisting he’s hitting it with total freedom and has no reason to hold back. The bigger story of the night, though, was what he did after match point. The seven-time Grand Slam champion turned to his player’s box and mimed drawing a bow, releasing an invisible arrow toward the stands.

It wasn’t a tribute to a National Basketball Association (NBA) star or a movie scene, as fans online guessed. In his press conference, he explained that the celebration was for his two younger brothers, Sergio and Jaime, who were in the crowd and had asked him beforehand to do it for them if he won.

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Alcaraz is the second-oldest of four brothers, with his eldest sibling, Alvaro, also part of his travelling team, and he has spoken before about how much he enjoys being someone the younger two look up to.

“My little brothers are here and they always say things to me from the stands. They asked me to do the bow and arrow, and they also did it from the box, so I dedicate it to them”, Alcaraz said.

Alcaraz next faces 20th seed Tommy Paul of the USA in the pre-quarterfinals on Sunday, a rematch of their fourth-round clash at the Australian Open earlier this year. The Spaniard leads this rivalry by 6-2 overall and has emerged victorious in their previous five meetings. However, Paul enters full of confidence after beating Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik in a five-set battle.

This will be the biggest test of Alcaraz’s recovery from injury, and could prove to be an important match in the context of the eventual US Open champion.

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