Carlos Alcaraz Shakes Off Months of Rust in US Open Opener

Carlos Alcaraz hadn't played a competitive singles match in over four months, but you wouldn't have known it by the end of the afternoon on Monday. The two-time US Open champion opened his title defense in commanding fashion, settling into his singles return quickly after a wrist injury that cost him both the French Open and Wimbledon this season.

A Statement Return

On Monday, August 31st, Carlos Alcaraz defeated Roman Safiullin 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to kick off his US Open title defense, ending a 138-day competitive absence. Safiullin had beaten Alcaraz in their only previous meeting at the 2023 Paris Masters, but this matchup looked a lot different.

The match took two hours and 22 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium, with Safiullin firing nine aces to Alcaraz’s two while also committing five double faults. Safiullin had his best look in the second set, breaking early and threatening to go up a commanding 3-0. However, a netted shot and a double fault let Alcaraz off the hook, and he settled in from there.

Safiullin had his chances throughout, but Alcaraz fended off five of the six break points he faced and never truly looked threatened. This win pushed Alcaraz’s record at majors in 2026 to a perfect 8-0, a stretch that includes his Australian Open title in January, where he became the youngest male tennis player in history to complete a Career Grand Slam.

Alcaraz’s Reaction

Alcaraz didn’t hide his emotions about being back on court at the tournament where he first became a Grand Slam champion. “It’s been a really tough five months for me, so to be able to step into Arthur Ashe and be able to compete again... I couldn’t have decided to come back at a better tournament, here at the US Open,” Alcaraz said.

He was pleased with his performance given the circumstances, while making it clear that he still expects to sharpen up as the tournament progresses. “I’m really happy with the level I played in my first [singles] match for four months. I think I played good tennis and I’m really proud of it, but I’m going to say I need more matches,” said Alcaraz after the match.

When asked about his next round, Alcaraz added, “The level of tennis is going to be better, for sure.”

On to Round Two

Alcaraz will face Jaime Faria when the second round gets underway on Wednesday. Faria upset home favorite Jenson Brooksby in the first round, and will be riding that momentum into the match. With a perfect record at the majors this season and a confident return now behind him, the four-month absence looks more like a footnote for Alcaraz rather than a concern heading deeper into his title defense.

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