Carlos Alcaraz made an emphatic statement on his comeback to the professional circuit, dispatching Russia's Roman Safiullin in three tidy sets during 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 miss both the French Open and Wimbledon.
Although the injury was not severe enough to require surgery, it left his fitness in question and raised doubts about his readiness for the New York hard‑court slam. Nevertheless, Alcaraz arrived at Flushing Meadows with confidence, and his 6‑4 6‑4 6‑4 triumph over Safiullin demonstrated that he remains a serious contender to defend the title he captured last year. Tim Henman of Sky Sports Tennis summed up the performance perfectly: "If you’d have asked Alcaraz how he’d have liked this game to go, he would have said a straight‑sets win, a few pressure moments, and just over two hours of work. That’s exactly what he got today.
He and his team will be delighted with every aspect of this match." The Spaniard admitted there were moments of uncertainty. "There were some doubts in the match, I'm not going to lie. I wondered if I could last the whole best‑of‑five format, playing four or five sets," he said before his next encounter with Portugal's Jaime Faria. "I had a little bit of doubt, but I tried to forget everything and focus on the things I needed to improve.
Physically I felt really good." The match attracted additional attention because rapper Travis Scott, who helped design Alcaraz's distinctive brown outfit for the tournament, was in the stands. Observers were keen to see whether the seven‑time Grand Slam champion could still generate his trademark serve speed and blistering groundstrokes after more than four months away from competitive singles play.
Alcaraz faced early pressure, having to save two break points in his first three service games. He broke Safiullin in the eighth game, clinching the opening set.
The second set saw him broken early, but he responded immediately with a break of his own and raised his intensity, breaking again in the eighth game to seal the set. In the third set, after an early break, Alcaraz never looked vulnerable on his serve, moving fluidly around the court and maintaining a high level of play to dispatch the tricky Russian opponent.
Elsewhere in the draw, Arthur Fils—who had just captured the Cincinnati Open title—proved to be one of the biggest threats in Alcaraz's half, but he was eliminated by Stefanos Tsitsipas in a four‑set battle (4‑6 7‑6(7‑3) 6‑1 6‑4). On the women's side, Belarusian powerhouse Aryna Sabalenka also began her campaign with a straight‑sets victory, beating Colombia's Camila Osorio 6‑2 6‑4. Sabalenka is aiming to become the first player to win three consecutive US Open titles since Serena Williams achieved the feat in 2014.
Although Osorio challenged her in the second set, Sabalenka held firm, stating to Sky Sports Tennis, "Camila is a tough opponent but I was ready to do whatever it takes to get the win. I really enjoyed the atmosphere and support.
A fun and tough match but happy to get through in straight sets." Sabalenka's recent form has been under scrutiny after third‑round exits at Wimbledon, the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open. Those defeats have opened the door for her rivals—Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula—to overtake her as world No. 1, a position she has held since October 2024.
Nonetheless, her game is built around hard‑court prowess; all four of her Grand Slam titles have come on that surface, and her raw power makes her a formidable opponent on the New York courts. In other first‑round action, Wimbledon finalist Karolina Muchova started her US Open run strongly, cruising past Austria's Sinja Karus 6‑3 6‑0. Former US Open runner‑up Amanda Anisimova also advanced, defeating compatriot Ashlyn Krueger 6‑1 6‑3.
American hopefuls Emma Navarro, Taylor Townsend and Cate McNally each secured wins, adding depth to the U.S. contingent. Britain's Harriet Dart and Jacob Fearnley both displayed resilience to reach the second round.
Dart recovered from a set and a break down to beat American Peyton Stearns 3‑6 6‑3 6‑2. Her coach and former world No.
1 Marion Bartoli praised the effort, saying, "I'm really pleased for her. Such a great effort and mentally it's so hard to come back but she fought so hard. It's absolutely brilliant." Fearnley, a lucky loser who entered the main draw after losing in qualifying, produced a dramatic five‑set victory over Spain's Martin Landaluce (4‑6 6‑2 4‑6 7‑5 6‑3).
After Landaluce served for the match in the fourth set, Fearnley won three consecutive games to force a decider and then maintained his momentum to clinch the final set. Speaking to Sky Sports Tennis, he reflected, "I saw it like I had nothing to lose and was playing on house money a little bit. That's what I told myself to ease the nerves and give my best effort. Super grateful for the second chance and glad I could make good use of it." British qualifier Harry Wendelken gave 21st seed Luciano Darderi a scare in their first‑round encounter, eventually losing 6‑2 3‑6 6‑2 7‑5.
Wendelken had endured a grueling qualifying campaign, spending nearly nine hours on court, including a marathon three‑set, three‑tiebreak match against Vilius Gaubas in the final round. The US Open continues to be broadcast live on Sky Sports each day through September 13, with streaming options available on NOW and the Sky Sports app for viewers who prefer contract‑free access. The tournament also serves as a lead‑in to the Laver Cup, which will be staged at The O2 in London from September 25‑27, also televised on Sky Sports.