Defending men's champion Carlos Alcaraz made a flawless return after nearly five months away from the court due to a wrist injury. The third-seeded Spaniard defeated Russia's Roman Safiullin 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 on Arthur Ashe Stadium in the US Open first round on August 31.
“It was a really tough five months for me. To step onto Arthur Ashe, to compete again, I couldn't pick a better tournament to come back to. This is a special place for me,” Alcaraz said after the match. “I tried to enjoy it as much as possible. I missed the crowd, I missed the energy, I missed the feeling of competing. I missed everything.”
Alcaraz is aiming to close the season with major titles after winning the Australian Open in January, becoming the youngest player in history to complete the career Grand Slam. His first-round performance may not have been vintage Alcaraz, but the 23-year-old unleashed increasingly confident forehand winners and displayed his familiar net play.
Alcaraz's win came less than 24 hours after Novak Djokovic was eliminated in the first round by Mariano Navone, the Serbian legend's earliest Grand Slam exit in 20 years. The tournament is also missing world No. 1 Jannik Sinner due to a knee injury. These developments have cleared Alcaraz's path, though he could face Djokovic in the semifinals.
In the women's draw, Aryna Sabalenka beat Camila Osorio 6-2, 6-4 despite committing 23 unforced errors. The world No. 1 from Belarus compensated with 32 winners and was satisfied with her performance: “She played really tough and I just tried to stay as aggressive as possible. I think I played well. She's an annoying opponent, forcing you to work for every point.”
Japan's Naomi Osaka had a tougher time, needing over two hours to get past Anastasia Zakharova 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/3). Meanwhile, eighth seed Iga Swiatek breezed past Wang Xiyu 6-2, 6-3.
In the men's singles, Stefanos Tsitsipas surprised by beating Arthur Fils 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-1, 6-4, securing his first win in six meetings against the young Frenchman. Third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime also advanced after a 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory over Rinky Hijikata, while Ben Shelton rallied past Tallon Griekspoor 1-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2.
