Carlos Alcaraz marked his return to singles play after a 139-day absence with a decisive victory over Roman Safiullin in the first round of the US Open. Alcaraz, the reigning US Open champion, looked sharp and energetic on the court, dispelling any concerns about his recent layoff.
Despite wearing a compression sleeve on his right arm, Alcaraz unleashed his signature forehand with considerable power, accounting for the majority of his 28 winners against Safiullin. "I felt great. I don't know how it looked from outside, but from inside, my feeling was that I was hitting normal," Alcaraz stated after the match. "I was playing pretty normal, playing my style, and everything felt great."
Each of Alcaraz's winners was met with a clenched fist and a celebratory cry of "vamos," directed toward his team. The 23-year-old visibly enjoyed his return to the court, smiling between points and engaging with the crowd. At one point, he was seen singing along to a Michael Jackson song during a changeover.
"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," Alcaraz said. "That's what I'm going do this tournament. The results, it's going to come after all. That's why I enjoyed so much today, and it wasn't a surprise for me, because I came here to enjoy."
Alcaraz's performance suggested a full recovery from any previous issues, and his confident demeanor indicated his primary focus is on enjoying the competition. The win sets a positive tone for his campaign in the tournament as he aims to defend his title.