Defending US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz made a winning return after a four-month injury lay-off, defeating Russia’s Roman Safiullin 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to reach the second round.
The Spanish star controlled the match from the outset, completing a straight-sets victory in his first appearance since recovering from injury.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Watch Safiullin vs. Alcaraz at the 2026 U.S. Open for free on 9Now with ExpressVPN. The 2026 U.S. Open is underway, and Carlos Alcaraz’s return is one of the tournament’s biggest storylines.
The second seed will face Roman Safiullin in the first round. Alcaraz is expected to advance, but he has been out of action for some time, leaving room for a potential upset.
Safiullin vs. Alcaraz at the 2026 U.S. Open is available to stream for free on 9Now. The service is geo-restricted to Australia, but viewers outside the country can use a VPN to connect to an Australian server and access the platform.
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Source: mashable.com
Carlos Alcaraz begins his US Open title defence against Russia’s Roman Safiullin in what will be the first serious test of his fitness since a long-term wrist injury.
The second-seeded Spaniard, who won the men’s singles title in New York last year, has not played a competitive singles match for more than four months because of inflammation in his right wrist. Despite his limited preparation, the 23-year-old remains one of the leading contenders to win the tournament again, particularly after his great rival Jannik Sinner withdrew because of a knee injury.
Alcaraz and Sinner have arguably been a cut above the rest of the men’s tour over the past two seasons. However, returning from such a prolonged absence with a delicate wrist problem and defeating the rest of the field would be a remarkable achievement, even for a player of Alcaraz’s generational talent.
The seven-time major champion missed this season’s French Open and Wimbledon because of the injury, which did not require surgery. He returned to court earlier this week in the US Open mixed doubles alongside Serena Williams.
Wearing a long compression sleeve on his right arm, Alcaraz did not look entirely convincing during the exhibition-style event. Understandably, he appeared to hold back on his serve and return as he gradually returned to competitive matchplay.
A five-set Grand Slam singles match will present a significantly greater physical challenge. Safiullin, who possesses a powerful serve and aggressive groundstrokes, is not an easy opening opponent.
The 29-year-old Russian reached the fourth round at Wimbledon last month before losing to Novak Djokovic. He is likely to take time away from Alcaraz, test the Spaniard’s durability from the baseline and make him uncomfortable throughout the match.
Predicting how a Grand Slam draw will develop is always difficult, but if Alcaraz defeats Safiullin and reaches the fourth round, he could face several further challenges given the length of his absence.
Based on the seedings, Alcaraz could meet the hard-working American Tommy Paul or the unpredictable Kazakh Alexander Bublik in the last 16.
Athletic Frenchman Arthur Fils and big-serving American Ben Shelton are possible quarter-final opponents, while Djokovic could await in the semi-finals.
Only Alcaraz and those closest to him know how his wrist will respond to the demands of five-set matches in the heat of a Grand Slam tournament. His opening challenge at Flushing Meadows, followed by a potentially intimidating second week, should provide the clearest indication.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Carlos Alcaraz begins his US Open title defence against Russia’s Roman Safiullin in what will be the first major test of his fitness since a long-term wrist injury.
The second-seeded Spaniard, who won the men’s title in New York last year, has not played a competitive singles match for more than four months because of inflammation in his right playing wrist. Despite that extended absence, Alcaraz remains one of the leading favourites to win the tournament again, particularly after his great rival Jannik Sinner withdrew with a knee injury.
Alcaraz and Sinner have appeared to be a level above much of the men’s tour over the past two seasons. However, returning from a prolonged lay-off with a delicate wrist problem and defeating the rest of the field would be a remarkable achievement, even for a player regarded as a generational talent.
The seven-time major champion missed this season’s French Open and Wimbledon because of the injury, which did not require surgery. He returned to court earlier this week in the US Open mixed doubles alongside Serena Williams.
Wearing a long compression sleeve on his right arm, Alcaraz did not look entirely convincing in the exhibition-style event. He appeared to be understandably holding back on his serve and return as he gradually readjusted to competitive match play.
A Grand Slam singles match played over five sets will provide a significantly greater physical challenge. Safiullin is not an ideal opening opponent, with the 29-year-old Russian possessing a powerful serve and aggressive groundstrokes.
Safiullin reached the fourth round at Wimbledon last month before losing to Novak Djokovic. He is likely to try to take time away from Alcaraz, test his resilience from the baseline and make the Spaniard uncomfortable throughout the match.
Predicting how a Grand Slam draw will unfold is always difficult, but even reaching the fourth round could leave Alcaraz facing increasingly demanding opponents given the length of his absence.
Based on the seedings, Alcaraz could meet the consistent American Tommy Paul or the unpredictable Kazakh Alexander Bublik in the last 16.
Athletic Frenchman Arthur Fils and big-serving American Ben Shelton are among the potential quarter-final opponents, while Djokovic could await in the semi-finals.
Only Alcaraz and his core team know how his wrist will respond to the demands of five-set tennis in the heat of a Grand Slam tournament. A difficult opening match at Flushing Meadows, followed by a potentially intimidating second week, should provide the clearest indication of whether he is ready to defend his US Open crown.
Source: www.bbc.com