US Open 2026: Carlos Alcaraz impresses on return from injury as Aryna Sabalenka, Harriet Dart also win
Defending champions Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka comfortably came through their first round matches; Alcaraz was playing his first singles match since April; watch the US Open live on Sky Sports Tennis and Sky Sports+, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports app
Monday 31 August 2026 21:38, UK
Carlos Alcaraz impressed on his return to tennis with a straight-sets win over Russia's Roman Safiullin in the first round of the US Open.
Alcaraz has not played a competitive singles match since withdrawing from the Barcelona Open in April with a wrist injury that forced him to miss the French Open and Wimbledon.
The severity of the injury, which did not require surgery, meant Alcaraz was a doubt for the US Open but he entered Flushing Meadows and showed with his 6-4 6-4 6-4 win over Safiullin that he cannot be dismissed to defend his title from last year.
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"There were some doubts in the match, I'm not going to lie. Thinking about if I would last the match, best of five, playing four or five sets," said Alcaraz, who will play Portugal's Jaime Faria in the next round.
"I had a little bit of doubt, but I tried to forget everything and focus on the things I needed to improve. I thought about what would happen in the match and physically I felt really well."
Watched on by rapper Travis Scott, who helped design Alcaraz's brown outfit for the US Open, there was plenty of attention on the seven-time Grand Slam champion's serve and groundstroke speed, given he had not played competitive singles for over four months.
He needed to save two break points from Safiullin in his opening three service games before breaking himself in the eighth game which proved enough to claim the opening set.
Alcaraz was broken at the start of the second set but broke back immediately and upped his intensity to break in the eighth game again and go on to win the second set.
After an early break in the third set, Alcaraz never came under threat on his serve and continued to move well while maintaining a high level on both wins to see off the tricky Russian.
One of the biggest threats in Alcaraz's half was Arthur Fils, after he won the Cincinnati Open title last week, but he was knocked out of the tournament by Stefanos Tsitsipas in a 4-6 7-6 (7-3) 6-1 6-4 defeat.
Sabalenka overcomes Osorio test
Like Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka started her US Open title with a straight-sets win as she beat Colombia's Camila Osorio 6-2 6-4.
Sabalenka is bidding to become the first player to win three consecutive US Open titles since Serena Williams in 2014 and was put under serious pressure by Osorio in the second set.
"Camila is a tough opponent but I was ready to do whatever it takes to get the win," she told Sky Sports Tennis.
"I really enjoyed the atmosphere and support. A fun and tough match but happy to get through in straight sets."
Sabalenka's form has been questioned after losing in the last 16 in her last three tournaments - Wimbledon, the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open.
It means she could lose her status as world No 1 for the first time since October 2024 with Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula all having the chance to knock Sabalenka off her perch.
But Sabalenka's best surface is the hard court, having won her four Grand Slam titles on hard, and her raw power will always make the Belarusian difficult to beat.
Elsewhere, Wimbledon runner-up Karolina Muchova will be looking for another big run and she got off to a great start by beating Austria's Sinja Karus 6-3 6-0.
The US Open is live on Sky Sports every day until September 13. Stream tennis with no contract on NOW and the Sky Sports App. You can also watch the Laver Cup at The O2 in London from 25-27 September live on Sky Sports.
