Alcaraz returns from wrist layoff to beat Safiullin 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in US Open first round

Carlos Alcaraz defeated Roman Safiullin 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in the first round of the US Open, marking his return to singles competition after not playing since April with a wrist injury. The Spaniard completed a straight-sets win in his first match at a grand slam since the layoff.

Alcaraz arrived at the tournament without a warmup or match preparation, raising questions about how his wrist would respond to the best-of-five format and to Safiullin’s heavy ball striking. The match was viewed as a test of both his recovery and his immediate readiness for match intensity after an extended absence. Observers had particular interest in how his weapons, especially his forehand and serve, would function under those conditions.

A defining moment came late in the opening set when Alcaraz, up 5-4, 30-15, advanced behind a wide serve and produced a delicate half-volley winner after Safiullin returned a dipping backhand to his feet. That sequence, played as Alcaraz moved forward to the net, provided an example of the court craft and touch that had been absent during his time out.

From the baseline Alcaraz repeatedly targeted his forehand, finishing the match with 20 forehand winners and nine forehand unforced errors while frequently turning defensive positions into offensive exchanges. The pattern of play saw him escape trouble in service games by hitting his way back into control rather than relying on free points.

On his wrist, Alcaraz offered a direct assessment: "It's pain-free right now," he said. "I felt great. I don't know how it looked from outside but, from inside, my feeling was that I was hitting normal. I was playing pretty normal, playing my style, and the arm, the wrist, everything felt great. I'm going to still take care of it, obviously, these days and before the matches and everything, but I'm just really happy it's pain-free finally."

Alcaraz kept his first-serve speeds relatively low, averaging just 113mph, and has worn tape under an arm sleeve in all of his matches and practices. As was the case in the mixed doubles, where Serena Williams even served first in their second match, Alcaraz did not push for maximum pace on serve in the opening match of his comeback.

Family members, his team and the rapper Travis Scott sat in his box as he returned to the court, and Alcaraz admitted to pre-match nerves: "It was a difficult day for me, to be honest, but at the same time, a really beautiful one," he said. "[I] started the day really nervous. Really, really nervous, thinking: 'I'm going to make it, I'm going to compete again.' I had more nerves than usual, but just happy, because for me, my goal here is to compete, to enjoy, and let’s see how my body’s going to react after the matches, after the competition again."

"I don't know how far I'm going to go in the tournament. I didn't know if I was going to lose this one, if I'm going to make the second round, final. I don't know how far I'm going to go. But what I just really want to do is enjoy every time that I'm going to walk into the court feeling the energy from the people, feel the competition, walking up, I'm thinking, all right, it's match day. That's what I'm going to do this tournament."