The dream is about to become reality for Mattia Bellucci. The 24-year-old Italian tennis player can barely contain his excitement about stepping onto Arthur Ashe Stadium, where he’ll face Carlos Alcaraz in Wednesday evening’s second-round showdown at the US Open. For a player ranked 65th in the world, this represents the biggest stage of his career against one of tennis’s brightest stars.
What Did Mattia Bellucci Write on Instagram?
Following his first-round victory, Bellucci took to Instagram to share his feelings about playing on the biggest stage in tennis.
In his Instagram story, the Italian wrote, “Walking on the Ashe tomorrow will be a dream coming true.” The post captured Bellucci’s genuine excitement about getting the opportunity to compete on the famous court in front of over 23,000 spectators. The Italian also wished Juncheng Shang, his first-round opponent, a speedy recovery, showing excellent sportsmanship despite advancing due to his opponent’s withdrawal.
Bellucci advanced to the second round after Shang retired during their match. The Italian was leading 7-6(0), 1-6, 6-3, 3-0 when Shang decided to withdraw from the match. This was particularly unfortunate for Shang, who has been dealing with foot problems throughout the 2025 season.
The Chinese player had previously undergone surgery on his right foot in March after experiencing constant pain. Shang told reporters he felt a stinging pain in his right foot when wearing tennis shoes, a problem that had persisted since arriving in Melbourne for the Australian Open earlier this year.
How Will Bellucci Handle the Challenge Against Carlos Alcaraz?
Now comes the real test. Bellucci faces arguably his toughest challenge of the tournament against Alcaraz, who has been in outstanding form throughout the 2025 season. The Spanish player has compiled an impressive 55-6 win-loss record in 2025, making him one of the most successful players on tour this year.
Alcaraz has already captured six titles in 2025, including his second consecutive Roland Garros title, where he came back from two sets down to beat Jannik Sinner in an epic five-hour, 29-minute final. The 22-year-old also captured his first Cincinnati Open title just before arriving in New York.
2022 champion Carlos Alcaraz plays a very good first match to beat Reilly Opelka 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 and reach the 2nd round at the #USOpen.
55-6 in 2025
18-2 in Majors in 2025
78-13 in Majors in his career
Faces Mattia Bellucci in R2. pic.twitter.com/zYXKe8E8Jd
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) August 26, 2025
This will mark the second meeting between the two players, with their only previous encounter taking place at an ITF event in Manacor, Spain, in 2020. Alcaraz won that match convincingly with a 6-2, 6-1 scoreline when he was just 16 years old.
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Alcaraz enters this match having won all 19 of his Grand Slam first-round matches, joining Bjorn Borg and Rafael Nadal as the only players to achieve this feat. The Spaniard is seeking his sixth Grand Slam title and will be looking to avoid a repeat of last year’s shock second-round exit to Botic van de Zandschulp. Bellucci will need to produce the performance of his career to upset the former world number 1.