Carlos Alcaraz made a striking comeback to the professional tennis circuit with a commanding straight‑sets triumph over Russia's Roman Safiullin in the opening round of the US Open. This match marked Alcaraz's first competitive singles appearance since he withdrew from the Barcelona Open in April because of a wrist injury that also forced him to miss both the French Open and Wimbledon. Although the injury was serious enough to keep him off the court for several months, it did not require surgical intervention, leaving his long‑term prospects intact. Leading up to the tournament, there had been considerable speculation about whether Alcaraz would be fit enough to compete at Flushing Meadows.
The uncertainty was amplified by the fact that the wrist problem had kept him away from match play for over four months, a period long enough for many top players to lose sharpness and rhythm. Nevertheless, the Spanish teenager entered the US Open with confidence, and his 6‑4 6‑4 6‑4 victory over Safiullin demonstrated that he remains a formidable contender for the title he won the previous year.
Tim Henman, a former British champion and current Sky Sports Tennis analyst, summed up the performance succinctly: "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 just over two hours of tennis. That's exactly what he delivered today, and his team will be thrilled with every facet of the game." Alcaraz himself admitted that he experienced a brief moment of doubt before the match, wondering whether he could endure a potential five‑set battle.
"I thought about the possibility of playing four or five sets, but I pushed those thoughts aside and focused on the improvements I needed to make," he said. He added that physically he felt strong and ready to compete. The match attracted a fair amount of celebrity attention, most notably from rapper Travis Scott, who helped design Alcaraz's distinctive brown outfit for the tournament. Observers were eager to see whether the young champion's serve speed and groundstroke power—metrics that had been closely watched before his injury—would still be at elite levels.
Early in the match Alcaraz faced two break points in his first three service games, but he held his nerve, saved the points, and then broke Safiullin in the eighth game to take the opening set. In the second set, Safiullin managed to break Alcaraz early, but the Spaniard responded immediately, breaking back and raising his intensity. He secured a break in the eighth game again, sealing the set with another 6‑4 scoreline.
The third set saw Alcaraj take an early break and never look back; he held serve comfortably and maintained a high level of play throughout, ultimately closing out the match without any significant threat from his opponent. Alcaraz's path through the draw will now lead him to a second‑round clash with Portugal's Jaime Faria.
The victory also sent a clear message to other competitors, including rising French talent Arthur Fils, who had just captured the Cincinnati Open title but was eliminated by Stefanos Tsitsipas in a four‑set battle. On the women's side, Belarusian powerhouse Aryna Sabalenka also began her US Open campaign with a straight‑sets win, defeating Colombia's Camila Osorio 6‑2 6‑4.
Sabalenka is chasing a historic third consecutive US Open crown, a feat not achieved since Serena Williams in 2014. She acknowledged the challenge posed by Osorio in the second set, noting, "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." Recent form has raised questions about Sabalenka's consistency, as she has exited in the round of 16 at Wimbledon, the Canadian Open, and the Cincinnati Open. Those results have opened the door for a potential shift in the world No. 1 ranking, with Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff, and Jessica Pegula all positioned to overtake her.
Nevertheless, Sabalenka's game is built around hard‑court prowess; all four of her Grand Slam titles have come on this surface, and her raw power makes her a perennial threat. Other notable performances in the early rounds included Wimbledon runner‑up Karolina Muchova, who opened her campaign with a dominant 6‑3 6‑0 win over Austria's Sinja Karus, and last year's US Open finalist Amanda Anisimova, who dispatched compatriot Ashlyn Krueger 6‑1 6‑3. American hopefuls Emma Navarro, Taylor Townsend, and Cate McNally also advanced, adding depth to the U.S.
contingent. Britain's Harriet Dart and Jacob Fearnley both displayed resilience, overturning deficits to reach the second round.
Dart rallied from a set and a break down to beat American Peyton Stearns 3‑6 6‑3 6‑2, earning praise from her coach and former world No. 1 Marion Bartoli for her mental toughness. Fearnley, a lucky loser who had lost in qualifying the week before, produced a thrilling five‑set victory over Spain's Martin Landaluce, winning 4‑6 6‑2 4‑6 7‑5 6‑3. After Landaluce served for the match in the fourth set, Fearnley captured three consecutive games to force a decider, ultimately holding his nerve to claim the win and secure a second‑round berth for a second consecutive year.
British qualifier Harry Wendelken gave 21st seed Luciano Darderi a serious scare, pushing the Italian to a four‑set battle before eventually losing 6‑2 3‑6 6‑2 7‑5. Wendelken's journey to the main draw was grueling; he spent nearly nine hours on court during qualifying, including an exhausting three‑set, three‑tiebreak match against Vilius Gaubas.
The US Open continues to be broadcast live on Sky Sports each day through September 13, with streaming options available via NOW and the Sky Sports app. Fans can also look forward to the upcoming Laver Cup at The O2 in London from September 25‑27, which will also be shown on Sky Sports.