Practice English with NewsPractice with News
Sports219 words2 min read

Alcaraz Faces Wu in US Open Third Round

a woman with long hair and a watch on her wrist
Photo by behrouz sasani on Unsplash
0:00 / 0:00

Listen to the story

Spanish tennis star Carlos Alcaraz faced Wu Yibing in the third round of the US Open on Friday, August 4. The match was one of several played that day at the tournament.

The US Open is one of the four Grand Slam tournaments in tennis, along with the Australian Open, the French Open and Wimbledon. It takes place every year in New York.

Alcaraz has become one of the most popular players in the sport. His matches attract large numbers of viewers and fans, both at the stadium and around the world.

The match against Wu Yibing was broadcast live on television and streamed online. This allowed fans in different countries to follow the game from home.

Before the match, media outlets published the schedule of the day's matches. Fans could check the exact start time and find out where to watch the coverage.

The US Open uses a knockout format, meaning players who lose a match are eliminated from the tournament. Winners continue to the next round.

Reaching the third round shows that a player has already won two previous matches at the tournament. It is an important stage before the later rounds, such as the quarterfinals and semifinals.

Fans and tennis experts continue to follow the tournament closely as it progresses through August and into September.

Vocabulary7 words

third round
the third stage of a competition
US Open
a major tennis tournament held in New York
Grand Slam
one of the four most important tennis tournaments
broadcast
shown on TV or online
schedule
a plan showing times of events
start time
the time when something begins
knockout format
a competition where losers are removed

Quiz

1. What stage of the US Open was the Alcaraz-Wu match?
2. Where does the US Open take place?
3. True or false: The US Open is one of the four Grand Slam tournaments.

Fill-in-the-blank listening

Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.

Spanish tennis star Carlos Alcaraz faced Wu Yibing in the _____ of the _____ on Friday, August 4.

The US Open is one of the four _____ tournaments in tennis, along with the Australian Open, the French Open and Wimbledon.

The match against Wu Yibing was _____ live on television and streamed online.

Before the match, media outlets published the _____ of the day's matches. Fans could check the exact _____ and find out where to watch the coverage.

The US Open uses a _____, meaning players who lose a match are eliminated from the tournament.

Discussion questions

  1. Have you ever watched a Grand Slam tennis tournament? Which one?
  2. Why do you think tennis matches attract so many viewers online and on TV?
  3. What qualities do you think make a tennis player successful in big tournaments?
  4. Do you prefer watching sports live at the venue or on a screen? Why?

More Sports stories