Alcaraz Beats Safiullin in US Open Return

Carlos Alcaraz beat Roman Safiullin 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in the 2026 US Open first round, a straight-sets return after a right wrist injury kept him out of singles for more than four months. The No. 2 seed needed 2 hours and 22 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium to start his title defense with a win.

Alcaraz had not played a singles match since injuring the wrist at the Barcelona event in April. He missed the French Open and Wimbledon, then tested himself in US Open mixed doubles before stepping back into best-of-five tennis. New York gave him the welcome he wanted, and he gave the crowd a clean result.

How Alcaraz handled Safiullin

The score stayed identical in all three sets, but Safiullin made Alcaraz work behind the serve. The Russian hit nine aces. Alcaraz finished with two aces and five double faults, yet he protected the biggest points by saving five of six break chances. He converted four of seven chances on Safiullin's serve.

That was enough separation. Alcaraz found one more pressure point in every set and did not let the match spill into a fourth. His movement and shotmaking held up through more than two hours, which mattered as much as the final line after the long layoff.

What Alcaraz said about his return

"It's been a really tough five months for me," Alcaraz said, according to The National. He called the US Open and New York special, and said he missed the crowd, the energy, and the competition. He also admitted he had wondered whether his body was ready for a four-set or five-set match.

Those questions are not finished after one round, but Monday was the best possible first answer. Unlike the five-set drama that ended Novak Djokovic's tournament against Mariano Navone, Alcaraz got off court in three.

Who does Alcaraz play next?

Jaime Faria is next in the second round. The Portuguese player beat Jenson Brooksby in five sets to advance. Alcaraz now gets a day to recover before another test, and the draw will keep asking whether the wrist can carry him through a full Grand Slam run.

For one loud afternoon on Ashe, the comeback looked real. Alcaraz served through the rough patches, broke when he needed to, and walked away with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 win.

The crowd response mattered, too. Alcaraz repeatedly invited more noise and celebrated the last points with the release of a player who had waited all summer for this stage. The wrist passed its first test. Faria will bring the next one.