Carlos Alcaraz marked his long-awaited return to competitive singles tennis with a convincing straight-sets victory over Roman Safiullin at the US Open, ending a 139-day absence caused by a wrist injury.
The defending champion showed few signs of rust as he defeated the Russian 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 on Arthur Ashe Stadium, producing the explosive forehand, delicate drop shots and infectious energy that have made him one of the biggest stars in tennis.
It was Alcaraz’s first singles appearance since April and came after more than four months away from the sport. The Spaniard had been forced to watch from the sidelines as his biggest rivals battled for the major titles during the summer.
Despite the lengthy layoff, Alcaraz looked comfortable from the opening exchanges and quickly settled into the rhythm of the contest. His forehand remained particularly dangerous, accounting for the majority of his 28 winners against Safiullin.
The 23-year-old also appeared to relish being back in front of the New York crowd.
“I missed the crowd, the energy, the competition – I missed everything,” Alcaraz said during his on-court interview. “I’m just really, really happy that I was able to compete again.”
His enthusiasm was obvious throughout the match. After producing winners, Alcaraz repeatedly clenched his fist and shouted “vamos” towards his team, while he also smiled between points and interacted with the energetic crowd.
At one stage, he even sang along to a Michael Jackson song during the change of ends, underlining how much he was enjoying his return to the biggest stage.
Former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash noted that Alcaraz appeared to be celebrating even the smallest positive moments, something that reflected just how much the Spaniard had missed competitive tennis.
For Alcaraz, however, enjoying his return was more important than immediately setting expectations about another deep run.
“What I really want to do is enjoy every time that I’m going to walk into the court, feeling the energy from the people,” he said. “That’s what I’m going to do this tournament. The results, it’s going to come after all.”
There were still signs that Alcaraz needed more time to regain his best level.
His serve was arguably the weakest part of his performance, with the Spaniard producing only two aces while committing five double faults. He landed 68 per cent of his first serves and won 66 per cent of the points behind them, but admitted that the shot remained an area he wanted to improve.
“The serve is the shot I was struggling [with] the most,” Alcaraz explained. “I’m going to try to serve better. The point is going to try to serve normal, but it’s a shot that I just always struggle [with].
“But it will be back, for sure.”
The biggest question before the match had been whether Alcaraz could cope physically with a best-of-five-set contest after spending so long away from competitive tennis.
Although he completed the match without major problems, he admitted there had been doubts in his mind before stepping onto court.
“There were some doubts in the match, I’m not going to lie,” he said. “I’ve been thinking about, ‘Am I going to last the best of five? Am I going to last playing four sets, five sets?'”
The Spaniard believes those concerns will gradually disappear as he plays more matches.
“I need more matches under the belt to get again into the rhythm of the tournament,” Alcaraz added. “I’m pretty sure I’m going to get better and better every day.”
Alcaraz’s successful return also came at a significant moment in the men’s draw.
World number one Jannik Sinner missed the tournament because of a knee problem, while Novak Djokovic’s campaign ended unexpectedly in the first round when he lost to Argentina’s Mariano Navone. The early exits have created an opportunity for Alcaraz to make another serious run at the title.
The defending champion is seeded second and was originally drawn in the opposite half to Alexander Zverev, meaning the two cannot meet before the final. Djokovic and Alcaraz had been placed in the same half of the draw before the Serbian’s shock exit.
Alcaraz will next face Portugal’s Jaime Faria, who entered the tournament ranked 72nd in the world. That match should provide another useful test of the Spaniard’s fitness and rhythm as he continues to build his form.
There was also positive news for Alcaraz elsewhere in the draw, with 10th seed Arthur Fils suffering a first-round defeat to Stefanos Tsitsipas. American eighth seed Ben Shelton, meanwhile, survived a difficult opening against Tallon Griekspoor before recovering to win in four sets.
Alcaraz is attempting to become the first man since Roger Federer to successfully defend the US Open men’s singles title. His first-round performance suggested that the wrist injury has not taken away the attacking tennis that made him champion in New York last year.
For now, though, Alcaraz is keeping his focus simple. After 139 days away from the singles court, the defending champion is simply happy to be competing again.
His victory over Safiullin was the first step. The challenge now is to build on it, regain his full match sharpness and discover whether his long-awaited comeback can ultimately lead to another title in New York.