Carlos Alcaraz makes winning return at US Open, Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek safely through

NEW YORK – Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz did not miss a beat as he returned from a four-month injury absence with a straight-set first-round victory in the US Open on Aug 31.

Out of action with a wrist injury since April, the 23-year-old passed his first test with flying colours, beating Russian Roman Safiullin 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 at Arthur Ashe Stadium, where women’s defending champion Aryna Sabalenka also made it safely into the second round.

“It’s been a really tough five months for me,” Alcaraz said.

“Being able to step on the Arthur Ashe, being able to compete again, I couldn’t decide to come back in a better tournament. It’s a really special place for me.”

“I tried to enjoy as much as I can,” he added.

“I missed the crowd, I missed the energy, I missed competition. I missed everything.”

Alcaraz is trying to bookend his season with Grand Slam titles after his Australian Open triumph in January made him the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam.

His Aug 31 performance might not have been peak Alcaraz, but the seven-time Grand Slam champion unleashed his powerful forehand with increasing confidence and displayed his familiar touch at the net.

“I think the level of tennis is going to be better for sure,” said the Spaniard, who added he was most proud that he was able to quell his own doubts about his fitness.

“I tried to forget everything, I tried to enjoy,” he said.

Alcaraz’s smooth move into the second round came less than 24 hours after ailing Novak Djokovic suffered his earliest Grand Slam exit in 20 years, falling in five brutal sets to Mariano Navone.

The tournament was already missing top-ranked Jannik Sinner, absent with a bad knee, and Djokovic’s exit removed another possible obstacle for Alcaraz, who could have met the Serb star in the semi-finals.

Another Grand Slam champion was knocked out in the first round as 2016 US Open winner Stan Wawrinka bade farewell to the tournament with a 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-3), 6-0 loss to Matteo Berrettini.

The 41-year-old Swiss was playing his final Grand Slam before retiring at the end of the season.

“It’s been 20 years since the first time I came here. It was amazing for me to feel the New York vibes throughout the years. I found the way to play my best tennis here,” an emotional Wawrinka said.

“One of the reasons I played until 41 was to live these moments. I’m very grateful for this wild card.

“It was very important for me to finish here, where I won a Grand Slam 10 years ago. I want to thank you all for all these years.”

Aggressive Sabalenka

Sabalenka’s bid for a rare US Open three-peat comes amid a worrying drop in form, but the Belarusian star rose to the occasion in a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Camila Osorio.

The 28-year-old was slowed by 23 unforced errors but belted 32 winners to more than compensate, her thunderous groundstrokes proving enough to see off a counter-punching opponent who stepped up her game in the second set.

“She brought the fight,” Sabalenka said.

“She battled really well and I just tried to stay as aggressive as possible.

“I think I played great. She’s a tough opponent, makes you work really hard to get every point, so I’m happy that I was able to close the match in straight sets,” she added.

Sabalenka has not reached a final since capturing the prestigious “Sunshine Double” of Indian Wells and Miami back in March.

Poland’s six-time Grand Slam singles champion Iga Swiatek also sailed into the second round, defeating China’s Wang Xiyu 6-2, 6-3 in 88 minutes.

The 25-year-old claimed her first title of an inconsistent year in Toronto earlier in August and followed it up with a run to the Cincinnati semi-finals, arriving in New York with a confidence boost as she bids for a seventh Grand Slam crown.

“For sure it was a good day in the office,” said Swiatek, who defeated Sabalenka on the way to her lone US Open triumph in 2022.

“It’s nice to come to a Grand Slam after a couple of good results, especially because this swing is never one I’ve felt super comfortable at. I’ve made a lot of progress and I’m focused on improving the little things in my game.”

Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka channelled NBA fashion trailblazer Allen Iverson as she battled to a 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-3) victory over unseeded Russian Anastasia Zakharova.

She needed to emulate Iverson’s famously fierce competitiveness to finally subdue Zakharova, who fought back to force a tiebreak in both sets.

“I would say it took everything (to win),” Osaka said as the clock approached 12.30am on Sept 1.

“I have no idea what time it is. Thanks for staying,” she told fans. “I’m grateful to be able to play on this court again.

“I just told myself to not have any regrets. I wanted to come out and compete. I haven’t played since Toronto, so I was a little rusty. I get nervous in the first rounds. I want to do well and show you guys new outfits.”

Osaka had walked out in a billowy custom-made gown which contained sewn-in news clippings detailing her career.

She also had her hair braided in the style of former Philadelphia 76ers star Iverson, the NBA icon who is often credited with helping bring street culture and style to basketball.

Osaka had paid tribute to Iverson in her pre-tournament press conference last week, wearing a T-shirt depicting the NBA star as she spoke to reporters.

“For me he’s a trailblazer,” Osaka said. “He’s kind of like done a lot in fashion, whether it’s on purpose or not, but he’s shifted the way that NBA players dress.

“I also think the whole conversation around clothes in sports and also just expressing yourself through style, I feel like he’s someone that I look up to in that regard.”

The 13th seed, champion at Flushing Meadows in 2018 and 2020, takes on Czech Republic’s Katerina Siniakova in the second round.

Elsewhere, Frenchman Arthur Fils, flying high after his first ATP Masters title in Cincinnati, was brought back to earth by Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas 4-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-1, 6-4.

Tsitsipas, a former Australian Open and French Open finalist, said he had lost some of his confidence in the months when his form and fitness came into question.

“That’s why I’m very ecstatic about today,” he said, of the win over Cincinnati champion Fils.

“It’s an important, good victory for me, for my confidence. It’s one of those moments that you’re able to look back into and be like, ‘I’ve still got the game that I’m looking for, and I’ve still got the shots and the quality is still there’.” AFP, REUTERS