New York (AFP) – After Novak Djokovic's dramatic goodbye, the US Open breathed a sigh of relief this Monday with the reassuring victory of Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz in his reappearance after more than four months out.

First modification: 08/31/2026 - 18:33 Last modification: 09/01/2026 - 07:35

The New York Grand Slam fans waited more eagerly than ever for the current champion, whose charisma brightens an orphaned edition of number one, Jannik Sinner, and now Djokovic due to his unprecedented elimination in the first round.

Alcaraz fulfilled the set plan perfectly.

He knocked down the Russian Roman Safiullin (99th in the world) with a triple 6-4, enjoyed a fan base that has idolized him for years and went to rest without pain in his right wrist, injured in April in Barcelona.

"Right now I don't have any pain. I don't know what it looked like from the outside, but my feeling was that I was hitting normally, playing quite normally, in my style," he said at the press conference.

"I don't know how far I'm going to go"

After the sad absences from Roland Garros and Wimbledon, Alcaraz was hungry to return to the competition and resume his sensational streak of wins in Grand Slams, now extended to 15 victories.

With it he triumphed last year in New York and last February at the Australian Open.

"I don't know how far I'm going to go in the tournament," said the former world number one, trying to curb expectations.

The sole presence in the draw of Alcaraz, added to the absence of Sinner, places him as a favorite, but to reach the final on September 13 he will have to pass many tests, with the doubt of how his body will withstand a duel that lasts to five sets.

For now, he maintained his unbeaten record in the opening round of the Grand Slams on the same court where Djokovic fell for the first time in his debut in New York at the hands of the Argentine Mariano Navone.

Wawrinka has his farewell

Another historical figure to say goodbye to New York, in his case to begin his retirement at the end of the year, was the Swiss Stan Wawrinka.

Winner of the US Open in 2016, in a final against Djokovic, Wawrinka was honored after losing in his last match in a Grand Slam against the Italian Matteo Berrettini 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/3) and 6-0.

"Here I found a way to play my best tennis. It was always special. One of the reasons why I continued playing until I was 41 was to live moments like the one you gave us tonight," the winner of three Grand Slams thanked the 8,000 fans.

Fils does not comply

The disappointment of the day was played by the Frenchman Arthur Fils when he fell to the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-1 and 6-4.

Brand new champion of the Cincinnati Masters 1000, Fils still has no notable performance in a Grand Slam, despite being mentioned in the list of candidates.

Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe, two of the hopes of American tennis for the trophy to stay at home for the first time since 2003, also did not leave a good image in their triumphs.

Tiafoe, a two-time semi-finalist in the tournament, was two sets to one down against his compatriot Martin Damm before reacting just in time and surviving after almost four hours.

Osaka honors Iverson

In the women's division, the current two-time champion, Aryna Sabalenka, passed the first test with a solid victory against the Colombian Camila Osorio by 6-2 and 6-4

Another of the candidates, the Polish Iga Swiatek, champion in 2022, defeated the Chinese Wang Xiyu 6-2, 6-3 and will face the Argentine Nadia Podoroska in the second round, who achieved the first victory of her career in the event against the Swiss Simona Waltert 4-6, 7-6 (7/5).

At night, Naomi Osaka once again gained the spotlight with another of her striking outfits.

The Japanese, a fashion icon in the world of tennis, this time paid tribute to former NBA star Allen Iverson wearing a basketball-inspired outfit, her characteristic braids, elbow pad and headband.

The tennis of the double champion of the tournament (2018 and 2020) did not live up to her style and she barely beat the Russian Anastasia Zakharova 7-6 (8/6) and 7-6 (7/3).

"I'm always nervous about my debut here because I want to do it well and I want to continue showing you more outfits," justified the former world number one.

"For me (Iverson) is a pioneer," he said. "He's also someone I admire a lot, because, in a way, he has contributed a lot to the fashion world, whether on purpose or not, but he has changed the way NBA players dress."

© 2026 AFP

The content you requested does not exist or is no longer available.