Back Where It All Began, Alcaraz Finds His Rhythm Again

2026-09-01 02:34:21

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Carlos Alcaraz made a flying start to his US Open title defense on Monday, overcoming nerves after a lengthy layoff due to injury and defeating Russia's Roman Safiullin in straight sets.

The Spaniard felt "really really nervous" Monday morning before taking Arthur Ashe stadium for his first round match, but never looked threatened as he prevailed over Safiullin, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.

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Alcaraz told a courtside interviewer he was thrilled to be back in New York, where he won his first of seven Grand Slams. He revealed no lingering effects from a wrist injury that kept him out of the last two Grand Slams.

"I missed the crowd, I missed the energy, I missed competition, I missed everything," he said. "I'm really happy to compete again."

Alcaraz described the experience as a "difficult day" but "at the same time, a really beautiful one.

"It's kind of I forgot how match day looks like," he said. "You know, I was warming up, and I don't remember actually what I used to do, you know, in the warm-up."

After winning his opening match in Barcelona in April, Alcaraz withdrew from the tournament due to the wrist injury, which also kept him from the French Open and Wimbledon.

But Alcaraz played "pain-free" on Monday.

"I don't know how it looked from the outside... but my feeling was I was hitting normal," Alcaraz said. "I was playing normal, playing my style, and the arm, the wrist, everything, you know, felt great."

A two-time winner in New York, Alcaraz is customarily at the top of the list of favorites in the game's biggest events.

But the Spaniard's prospects looked uncertain when he pulled out of the Cincinnati warmup event, opting to make his return to play at a Grand Slam with best of five set matches.

His win Monday came after four-time US Open champion Novak Djokovic, seeded fourth this year, lost late Sunday night in a marathon, five-set upset to Argentine Mariano Navone in his earliest Grand Slam exit in 20 years.

Alcaraz described Djokovic's defeat "a big surprise." The two were seeded to potentially meet in the semis.

"As you say, he was in my part of the draw but it was in the semis," Alcaraz said. "For me, the semis is too far away, so I just try to be round by round."

Meanwhile, Aryna Sabalenka got her bid for a third straight US Open title off to a winning start on Monday to light up the second day of the year's final Grand Slam.

Former champion Iga Swiatek and last year's runner-up Amanda Anisimova also advanced with impressive victories while Stefanos Tsitsipas served up an upset by knocking out 10th seed Arthur Fils on a sunny afternoon in New York.

Sabalenka looked on her way to ending a frustrating patch of poor form with a 6-2 6-4 win over Colombia's Camila Osorio that earned her a clash with Russian Polina Iatcenko in the second round.

"I'm happy with my performance," said Sabalenka, who has not reached a title match since triumphing at Indian Wells and Miami to complete the 'Sunshine Double' in March.

"She's a tough opponent, makes you work really hard to get every point."

American Anisimova, whom Sabalenka beat in the final last year, got her campaign off to a good start on her 25th birthday with a 6-1 6-3 win over compatriot Ashlyn Krueger at Louis Armstrong Stadium.

Greece's Tsitsipas upset Cincinnati winner Fils 4-6 7-6(3) 6-1 6-4 in an early match on the same court, booking a second-round meeting with South African Lloyd Harris.

Seven matches that were suspended on the outer courts on Sunday due to rain resumed on Monday, as organisers benefited from the extended three-day first-round schedule after expanding the main draw to 15 days in 2025.

Wimbledon finalist Karolina Muchova got the day underway on the Grandstand with a routine 6-3 6-0 win over Sinja Kraus and the Czech seventh seed plays Briton Katie Boulter next.

Linda Noskova, who defeated compatriot Muchova in the All England Club final, downed American Katie Volynets 7-5 6-1 to stay on track for back-to-back major titles.

It was a good day for the Americans on the largest of the outdoor courts. Emma Navarro ground out a 7-6(6) 6-7(1) 6-3 win over Frenchwoman Lois Boisson, while Taylor Townsend defeated Poland's Maja Chwalinska 6-2 6-3.

China's Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, who was forced to go through qualifying only two years after reaching the quarter-finals in New York, beat Kristina Liutova 4-6 6-3 6-1.

Zheng's progress has stalled and her ranking has plummeted since an elbow injury forced her to undergo surgery last year.

Polish eighth seed Swiatek, the 2022 champion, beat China's Wang Xiyu 6-2 6-3 to kick off the night session on the second showcourt.

Another former winner, Stan Wawrinka, fell to Italy's Matteo Berrettini 7-6(4) 7-6(3) 6-0. The 41-year-old Swiss bid goodbye to the Grand Slam for the final time before his retirement at the end of the season.

Home hope Ben Shelton overcame Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor 1-6 6-1 7-6(3) 6-2 before Frances Tiafoe prevailed 6-4 4-6 3-6 6-3 6-4 in an all-American clash with Martin Damm.

Naomi Osaka unveiled another bold Grand Slam walk-on outfit before showing plenty of fight for a 7-6(6) 7-6(3) victory over unseeded Russian Anastasia Zakharova in a late-finishing match.

Back Where It All Began, Alcaraz Finds His Rhythm Again

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