New York (AFP) - Carlos Alcaraz began the defense of his US Open title on Monday with a convincing victory against Russian Roman Safiulli, in his highly anticipated first singles match in more than four months.

First modification: 08/31/2026 - 22:11 Last modification: 08/31/2026 - 22:42

Alcaraz, third in the world ranking, beat Safiullin (99th) 6-4, 6-4 and 6-4 in two hours and 22 minutes of play on the center court in New York.

The 23-year-old Spanish star left good physical sensations and some brilliant hits, after 139 days out due to an injury to his right wrist.

"I am very happy with the level with which I played my first official match in more than four months," he said after the victory. "I'm proud but I need more games, to get back into the rhythm of the tournaments and I'm sure I will improve."

After painful absences at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, Alcaraz was hungry to resume his sensational streak of matches won in Grand Slam tournaments, which now reaches 15.

With it he triumphed last year in New York and in February at the Australian Open, becoming the youngest tennis player to hold the four major titles.

The Murcian assumed the risks of returning in a Grand Slam tournament, with the demands of playing the best of five sets, aspiring to be the first champion to repeat victory at the US Open since Roger Federer's five consecutive titles between 2004 and 2008.

"The thing I'm most proud of is that mentally I was able to deal with the nerves, the doubts in my head and move forward," he explained.

"There were some doubts before the match, I'm not going to lie. If I was going to last a five-set match, I don't know," he said. "But I tried to forget everything, enjoy and do the things I had to do. I thought about letting myself go and seeing what happened in the game and it turned out very well"

If the wrist resists and the legs do not suffer from inactivity, Alcaraz is a clear contender for victory given the absence due to injury of Jannik Sinner, world number one, and the elimination of Novak Djokovic in his debut on Sunday.

"I missed him"

The center court audience gave a warm welcome to the charismatic Spanish tennis player when he appeared in his sleeveless basketball uniform and a headband to tame his new hair.

Alcaraz also used a compression sleeve on her right arm, as she did in her participation last week in the mixed doubles tournament alongside the iconic Serena Williams.

The serve, a shot that was more in the spotlight, worked against Safiullin, to whom he only allowed one break.

Alcaraz did not allow himself unnecessary risks this time to delight the public.

With concentration and many "Let's go" to encourage himself, Alcaraz did not overwhelm the Russian, against whom he lost in 2023 in Paris, but he did not find himself in trouble even when he started the second set 2-0 down.

After passing the first test, the Spaniard congratulated himself on the decision to return to New York, the place where in 2022 he established himself as world number one by winning his first Grand Slam title.

"They were five hard months (...) But I couldn't decide on a better tournament than the US Open," he thanked. "New York is a very special place for me and I tried to enjoy it as much as possible. I missed the energy, the crowd, the competition. I am very happy to be able to compete again."

His next rival will be the Portuguese Jaime Faria, world number 72, with whom he has never faced.

© 2026 AFP

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