Alcaraz Secures Straight Sets Win in US Open Return After Four Months Out
Carlos Alcaraz has begun the defence of his US Open title with a straight-sets win over Roman Safiullin, coming through 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in his first singles match in more than four months.
The Spaniard showed no obvious difficulty with the right wrist injury that had kept him off the tour since April.
A Long Absence
Alcaraz last played a singles match at the Barcelona Open, withdrawing after winning his opening match with what was later described as inflammation of the tissue surrounding a tendon in his right wrist.
The layoff cost him a significant portion of the season. He missed Madrid, Rome, Roland Garros, Queen's Club and Wimbledon, along with the hard-court events in Toronto and Cincinnati. That included the defence of his French Open title.
He had originally targeted Cincinnati for his return before deciding the wrist needed more time. His only competitive tennis before Monday came in the mixed doubles alongside Serena Williams during the tournament's opening week, a partnership that reached the quarter-finals.
Alcaraz arrived at Flushing Meadows without a competitive singles warm-up match of any kind.
The Match
Safiullin, ranked just inside the top 100, had beaten Alcaraz once before, at the Paris Masters in 2023 when the Spaniard was ranked second in the world. He also reached the later stages at Wimbledon this summer while Alcaraz was absent.
There was no repeat on Arthur Ashe Stadium. Alcaraz took each set by the same margin without facing serious difficulty, moving into the second round having spent a manageable amount of time on court in his first outing back.
The 23-year-old is seeded second despite being ranked third, a consequence of world number one Jannik Sinner withdrawing on 21 August with a knee injury. It is the first major Sinner has missed since his debut at the 2019 US Open.
A Reshaped Draw
Alcaraz's half of the draw has already changed dramatically. Novak Djokovic, seeded fourth, was beaten in the first round on Sunday night by Argentina's Mariano Navone in five sets, the Serb's first opening-round defeat at the US Open.
Alexander Zverev, who won his first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros in June, is the top seed and began his campaign on Tuesday against Lorenzo Sonego.
Aryna Sabalenka, the two-time defending women's champion, also came through her opening match on Monday, beating Camila Osorio 6-2, 6-4. She is attempting to become the first woman to win three consecutive US Open titles since Serena Williams did so between 2012 and 2014.
Elsewhere on Monday, Stefanos Tsitsipas knocked out Arthur Fils, who had won his maiden Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati earlier this month.
Alcaraz is chasing a third US Open title after wins in 2022 and 2025, and an eighth Grand Slam overall. The men's final is on 13 September.
