Carlos Alcaraz returns to US Open after wrist injury: ‘I was more nervous than usual’

Carlos Alcaraz of Spain celebrates winning his match against Roman Safiullin of Russia during the first round of the US Open tennis championships Monday, Aug. 31, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Sydney Schaefer) Carlos Alcaraz made a triumphant return to Grand Slam tennis at the US Open on Monday, and the biggest positive was that his injured right wrist felt perfectly fine.The 23-year-old Spaniard beat Roman Safiullin 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 despite missing the French Open and Wimbledon since April.“I don’t know what it looked like from the outside, but from the inside I felt like I was going to hit normally,” Alcaraz said. “I was playing pretty normal, I was playing my style and yes, the arm, the wrist, everything was great.Alcaraz admitted he was more nervous than usual, having not played a Grand Slam match in several months. Still, he said his main goal was to enjoy the tournament and see how his body would react.“I was more nervous than usual but I’m happy because for me my goal is to compete here, enjoy it and see how my body reacts after the matches, again after the competition,” said Alcaraz.“I don’t know how far I’ll go in the tournament. I didn’t know if I’m going to lose this one, if I’m going to get to the second round, the final. I don’t know how far I’m going to go. But I really want to enjoy every time I step on the court, feel the energy from the people, feel the competition.”His chances of defending his title have increased after Novak Djokovic suffered a shock first-round defeat, while top-ranked Jannik Sinner is sidelined with a knee injury.

Sabalenka begins her title defense

Two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka also started strongly, defeating Camila Osorio 6-4, 6-4. She is aiming to become the first player since Serena Williams to win three US Open titles in a row.“I feel this is one of my favorite stadiums,” Sabalenka told the crowd afterward. “I really experienced the best emotions here in this stadium.Meanwhile, Stefanos Tsitsipas knocked out tenth seed Arthur Fils and was asked if he could rediscover his best form.“Why not?” Tsitsipas said.