Carlos Alcaraz made a winning return to singles action at the US Open, while Ben Shelton and Stefanos Tsitsipas battled back from slow starts, and Stan Wawrinka’s final Grand Slam appearance ended in defeat on a dramatic second day of men’s action at Flushing Meadows.
Defending champion Alcaraz marked his return from a four-month injury layoff with a composed 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Roman Safiullin at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The 23-year-old Spaniard was playing his first singles match in 139 days after being sidelined with a right wrist injury. He had missed the French Open and Wimbledon since April before returning to competitive action last week in the mixed doubles alongside Serena Williams.
Alcaraz looked increasingly comfortable as the match progressed, producing several trademark baseline exchanges and showing few signs of rust. He maintained control throughout the contest and closed out the match without dropping a set.
“It’s been a really tough five months for me, so to be able to step into Arthur Ashe [Stadium] and be able to compete again… I couldn’t have decided to come back at a better tournament, here at the US Open, here in New York,” Alcaraz said, as quoted by Olympics.com.
“It’s a really special place for me, a special tournament for me. I tried to enjoy as much as I can. I missed the crowd, the energy, the competition. I missed everything, so I’m just really happy I was able to compete again,” he added.
Alcaraz admitted he had some doubts about whether he could last through a full best-of-five match on his return, but said he felt physically strong after the victory.
The win improved his season record to 23-3 and began his bid for back-to-back US Open titles on a positive note.
Djokovic’s shock exit adds to Alcaraz’s side of draw
Alcaraz’s return came a day after Navone, bringing an unexpected early end to the Serbian’s campaign.
Djokovic’s five-set loss marked his first opening-round defeat at a Grand Slam since the 2006 Australian Open and removed the possibility of a potential semi-final meeting with Alcaraz.
“I saw the fifth set. Obviously it was the first time that Novak lost in the first round here in this tournament, so it’s a big surprise. Someone like Novak going out in the first round, it’s surprising,” Alcaraz said, as quoted by ATP.
However, the Spaniard insisted Djokovic’s departure would not alter his approach.
“He was in my part of the draw, but it was in the semis. For me, the semis are too far away, so I just try to go round by round,” he added.
Alcaraz will next face Portugal’s Jaime Faria.
Shelton recovers while Tsitsipas stages stunning comeback
American No. 1 Ben Shelton also overcame a difficult start, recovering from a first-set loss to beat Tallon Griekspoor 1-6, 6-1, 7-6(3), 6-2 under the lights at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Backed by a vocal home crowd, Shelton gradually turned the contest around and continued his strong run after successfully defending his ATP Masters 1000 title in Canada less than three weeks ago.
Tsitsipas produced another impressive comeback, rallying from a set and a break down to defeat 10th seed Arthur Fils 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-1, 6-4.
The Greek fired 50 winners to end Fils’ six-match winning streak and will meet qualifier Lloyd Harris in the second round.
Wawrinka receives emotional farewell in final US Open appearance
Former champion Stan Wawrinka’s final Grand Slam appearance ended with a 7-6(4), 7-6(3), 6-0 defeat to Matteo Berrettini.
The 41-year-old Swiss, who won the US Open in 2016 and plans to retire later this season, fought through two tightly contested sets before Berrettini pulled away in the third.
Wawrinka was given an emotional farewell by the New York crowd as his final appearance at Flushing Meadows brought another chapter of his celebrated career to a close.
Auger-Aliassime survives rain delay and late scare
Third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime began his campaign with a hard-fought 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory over Rinky Hijikata.
Play was suspended for around an hour because of rain after Auger-Aliassime dropped the second set, but the Canadian returned on Grandstand without losing his rhythm.
He missed two match points while serving at 5-4 in the fourth set, only to respond with a break before closing out the contest in the following game.
Auger-Aliassime, who is two wins away from 300 career tour-level victories, will next face Karen Khachanov. The Russian eased past Roman Andres Burruchaga 6-3, 6-0, 6-1.
Gorzny saves five match points in four-hour thriller
American qualifier Sebastian Gorzny produced one of the day’s biggest escapes, saving five match points before defeating Raphael Collignon 3-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(9) in a contest lasting nearly four hours.
Brandon Nakashima, meanwhile, continued his excellent summer with a dominant 6-2, 6-1, 6-0 victory over Sebastian Baez in just 89 minutes.
Nakashima struck 34 winners and will next face fellow Californian Alex Michelsen, who beat Federico Cina 6-4, 6-1, 6-0.
Another Californian, 14th seed Learner Tien, also registered his first US Open victory, defeating Nuno Borges 6-4, 6-1, 6-2.