Carlos Alcaraz Wins US Open Return After 139-Day Singles Absence

Carlos Alcaraz made a winning return to singles competition at the US Open, defeating Roman Safiullin 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in the first round on Monday. BBC Sport reported that the defending champion was playing his first singles match in 139 days after recovering from a wrist injury.

Watch the highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLgq_gfaIPg

The 23-year-old Spaniard had not contested a singles match since the Barcelona Open in April. During his absence, Alexander Zverev won the French Open and Jannik Sinner claimed the Wimbledon title. Back on Arthur Ashe Stadium, Alcaraz produced 28 winners and completed the straight-sets victory while wearing a compression sleeve on his right arm.

Alcaraz said after the match that he had missed the atmosphere and competition and was pleased to be playing again. His forehand supplied most of his winners, while his drop shots also troubled Safiullin. The second seed repeatedly engaged with the crowd as he began the defence of the title he won against Sinner last year.

The performance also showed areas Alcaraz wants to improve. He served two aces and five double faults, landing 68% of his first serves and winning 66% of the points played behind them. He acknowledged that his serve had been the most difficult part of his comeback, though he said some of the reduced pace was intended as a tactical change against Safiullin.

Alcaraz also admitted he had wondered before the match whether he was ready for the demands of a best-of-five-set contest. The three-set win provided an encouraging first test, but he said he needs more matches to recover his tournament rhythm. His next opponent will be Portugal's Jaime Faria, who is ranked 72nd in the world.

The draw around Alcaraz has opened after world number one Sinner withdrew with a knee problem and Novak Djokovic lost to Mariano Navone in the first round. French 10th seed Arthur Fils was also eliminated by Stefanos Tsitsipas. Alcaraz cannot face top seed Zverev before the final, while American Ben Shelton is the only top-10 player he could meet before the semi-finals.