Carlos Alcaraz made a striking comeback to the professional circuit with a decisive straight‑sets victory over Russia's Roman Safiullin in the opening round of the US Open. The 22‑year‑old Spaniard had not contested a singles match since he withdrew from the Barcelona Open in April because of a wrist problem that also forced him to sit out the French Open and Wimbledon.
Although the injury was serious enough to raise doubts about his participation in New York, it did not require surgery, and Alcaraz ultimately entered Flushing Meadows with a clear intention to prove that he remains a serious contender for the title he defended from the previous year. Alcaraz's performance was a textbook example of efficiency. He captured the first set 6‑4 by saving two early break points in his service games, then breaking Safiullin in the eighth game to seal the set. The second set saw a brief lapse when Alcaraz was broken early, but he responded immediately with a break of his own and raised his intensity, breaking again in the eighth game to take the set 6‑4.
In the third set, after an early break, Alcaraz never looked back, holding serve comfortably and dictating play with powerful groundstrokes and a consistently deep serve. He closed the match without ever allowing the Russian to threaten his service games, finishing the contest 6‑4 6‑4 6‑4. Tim Henman of Sky Sports Tennis summed up the Spaniard's approach: "If you had asked Alcaraz how he wanted the match to go, he would have described a straight‑sets win, a few pressure moments, and a little over two hours of tennis. That's exactly what he delivered today.
He and his team will be thrilled with every aspect of this performance." Alcaraz himself admitted that he entered the match with some lingering doubts about his stamina, especially given the best‑of‑five format of Grand Slam men’s matches. "I thought about whether I could last four or five sets," he said, "but I tried to push those thoughts aside, focus on the improvements I needed to make, and I felt physically fine." The match attracted additional attention because rapper Travis Scott, who helped design Alcaraz's distinctive brown outfit for the tournament, was in attendance. Observers were keen to see whether the Spaniard's serve speed and baseline power, hallmarks of his game, would still be effective after more than four months away from competitive singles play.
The answer was a resounding yes. Alcaraz's ability to save break points early, break back quickly, and maintain a high level of movement demonstrated that his recovery had been thorough and that his competitive edge remained sharp.
Alcaraz's next challenge will be against Portugal's Jaime Faria in the second round, a match that will test whether his early form can be sustained against a different style of opponent. Meanwhile, the women's draw also featured a notable straight‑sets win, as Belarusian world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka dispatched Colombia's Camila Osorio 6‑2 6‑4. Sabalenka, who is aiming to become the first player since Serena Williams in 2014 to capture three consecutive US Open titles, faced a brief surge of resistance from Osorio in the second set but ultimately prevailed.
Sabalenka acknowledged the difficulty of the encounter, stating, "Camila is a tough opponent, but I was ready to do whatever it takes to get the win. I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the support; it was a fun and tough match, but I'm happy to have taken it in straight sets." Her recent form had been under scrutiny after she suffered round‑of‑16 exits at Wimbledon, the Canadian Open, and the Cincinnati Open. Those losses raised the possibility that she could relinquish the world No. 1 ranking for the first time since October 2024, with Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula all positioned to challenge her.
Nevertheless, Sabalenka's strengths lie on hard courts, the surface of the US Open, where she has already claimed four Grand Slam titles. Her raw power, aggressive baseline play and ability to hit winners from anywhere on the court make her a formidable opponent on this surface, and she will look to re‑establish her dominance as the tournament progresses. Other notable performances on the opening day included Britain’s Karolina Muchova, the Wimbledon runner‑up, who began her campaign with a convincing 6‑3 6‑0 win over Austria’s Sinja Karus. In the women's draw, last year’s US Open finalist Amanda Anisimova continued her resurgence by beating fellow American Ashlyn Krueger 6‑1 6‑3.
Emma Navarro, Taylor Townsend and Cate McNally also advanced, adding depth to the American contingent. On the men's side, British players Harriet Dart and Jacob Fearnley both displayed remarkable resilience.
Dart recovered from a set and a break down to defeat American Peyton Stearns 3‑6 6‑3 6‑2. Her coach and former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli praised the comeback, calling it "a great effort and mentally very hard to achieve, but she fought hard and it was brilliant." Fearnley, who entered the main draw as a lucky loser after losing in qualifying, battled Spain’s Martin Landaluce in a marathon five‑set match, eventually prevailing 4‑6 6‑2 4‑6 7‑5 6‑3.
Despite missing a routine smash that could have ended the match earlier, Fearnley kept his composure and secured his second‑round spot, putting himself back in contention for a top‑100 ranking. In another British story, qualifier Harry Wendelken gave 21st seed Luciano Darderi a serious scare, pushing the match to four sets before ultimately falling 6‑2 3‑6 6‑2 7‑5. Wendelken’s path to the main draw had been grueling, involving nearly nine hours of court time in qualifying, including a three‑set, three‑tiebreak marathon against Vilius Gaubas.
The US Open will continue to be broadcast live on Sky Sports each day until September 13, with streaming options available on NOW and the Sky Sports app for viewers who prefer contract‑free access. The tournament promises more high‑stakes battles, potential upsets, and the chance for emerging talents to challenge established stars as the competition moves deeper into the fortnight.