US Open: Alcaraz wins on return, aggressive Sabalenka advances
Defending men’s champion Carlos Alcaraz did not miss a beat as he returned from a four-month injury absence with a straight-sets first-round victory in the US Open. Out of action with a wrist injury since April, Alcaraz 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 on Monday.
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Key Facts
- Fact 1: Out of action with a wrist injury since April, Alcaraz 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 on Monday.
- Fact 2: ‘The time has come’: Messi retires from international football Arsenal edge past troubled Aston Villa 1-0 as Saka scores only goal Transfer deadline day 2026: All to know about target signings, clubs, fees “It’s been a really tough five months for me,” Alcaraz, the world number three, said.
- Fact 3: “I tried to forget everything, I tried to enjoy,” the 23-year-old said.
- Fact 4: Alcaraz’s smooth progress into the second round came less than 24 hours after an ailing Novak Djokovic suffered his earliest Grand Slam exit in 20 years, falling in five brutal sets to Mariano Navone.
Defending men’s champion Carlos Alcaraz did not miss a beat as he returned from a four-month injury absence with a straight-sets first-round victory in the US Open. Out of action with a wrist injury since April, Alcaraz 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 on Monday.
‘The time has come’: Messi retires from international football Arsenal edge past troubled Aston Villa 1-0 as Saka scores only goal Transfer deadline day 2026: All to know about target signings, clubs, fees “It’s been a really tough five months for me,” Alcaraz, the world number three, 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.
(Original synthesis pending human/AI review — generated by the stub provider by selecting real sentences from the source material, not by writing new analysis or commentary.)
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Original source: Al Jazeera