Carlos Alcaraz Triumphs in US Open Return, Brushing Aside Injury Concerns
NEW YORK — Carlos Alcaraz marked his return to the Grand Slam stage in commanding fashion on Monday, securing a straight-sets victory at the US Open that served as a powerful statement regarding his physical health.
The 23-year-old Spaniard defeated Roman Safiullin 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, effectively shaking off the rust that had accumulated during his extended hiatus. Alcaraz had been sidelined from both the French Open and Wimbledon since April due to a nagging right wrist injury, a setback that had cast doubt on his preparedness for the hard-court season.
However, any apprehension regarding his fitness vanished on the court. Following the match, Alcaraz confirmed that his wrist held up perfectly throughout the contest.
“I don’t know how it looked from outside, but from inside, my feeling was that I was hitting normal,” Alcaraz said. “I was playing pretty normal, playing my style, and yeah, the arm, the wrist, everything felt great.”
Nervous Energy and New Goals
Despite his clinical performance, Alcaraz admitted that the absence from major competition created a sense of unease. “I had more nerves than usual,” he confessed. “But I am just happy, because, for me, my goal here is to compete, to enjoy, and let’s see how my body’s going to react after the matches.”
Looking ahead, the former champion emphasized a shift in perspective. Rather than focusing solely on winning the trophy, he is prioritizing the experience of being back under the bright lights of New York.
“I don’t know how far I’m going to go in the tournament,” Alcaraz noted. “But what I just really want to do is enjoy every time that I’m going to walk into the court feeling the energy from the people, feel the competition.”
The road to the title has become significantly more intriguing following the shock first-round exit of Novak Djokovic and the absence of top-ranked Jannik Sinner, who is currently nursing a knee injury. Given these developments, this Carlos Alcaraz return appears to be the primary narrative of the opening week.
Sabalenka and Tsitsipas Advance
In other action at Flushing Meadows, two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka signaled her intent to dominate once again. She breezed past Camila Osorio with a 6-4, 6-4 victory, keeping her sights set on becoming the first player since Serena Williams to capture three consecutive US Open titles.
“I feel like this is one of my favorite stadiums,” an upbeat Sabalenka told the crowd. “I really experienced the best emotions here.”
Meanwhile, the men’s draw saw Stefanos Tsitsipas deliver a high-quality performance to eliminate 10th-seeded Arthur Fils. When pressed by reporters on whether he believes he can rediscover the elite form that once saw him pushing for the world No. 1 spot, the Greek star remained characteristically optimistic, simply replying, “Why not?”
