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
Tuesday 1 September 2026 00:38, 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 from defending 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.
Last year's US Open runner-up Amanda Anisimova defeated compatriot Ashlyn Krueger 6-1 6-3 and was joined by three more victorious Americans in the women's draw on Monday as Emma Navarro, Taylor Townsend and Cate McNally also won.
Brits Dart and Fearnley fight back to progress; Wendelken out
Britain's Harriet Dart and Jacob Fearnley both fought back from losing positions to reach the second round of the US Open.
Dart was a set and a break down before roaring back to a 3-6 6-3 6-2 win over American Peyton Stearns.
Her coach and Sky Sports Tennis pundit Marion Bartoli said: "I'm really pleased for her. Such a great effort and mentally it's so hard to come back but she fought so hard. It's absolutely brilliant."
That was followed by a superb win for Jacob Fearnley after he beat Spain's Martin Landaluce 4-6 6-2 4-6 7-5 6-3.
Landaluce served for the match in the fourth set but Fearnley won three games in a row to take the match to a deciding set and continued that momentum in the fifth.
Despite missing a routine smash to win the match, Fearnley kept his composure and ensured he made the second round at Flushing Meadows for a second successive year.
Fearnley, who could return to the world's top 100, actually lost in qualifying last week but is in the main draw as a Lucky Loser.
"I saw it like I had nothing to lose and was playing on house money a little bit. That's what I told myself to ease the nerves and give my best effort," he told Sky Sports Tennis.
"Super grateful for the second chance and glad I could make good use of it."
British qualifier Harry Wendelken gave 21st seed Luciano Darderi a real scare in the first round in New York before losing 6-2 3-6 6-2 7-5.
Wendelken came through qualifying the hard way, spending nearly nine hours on court including a gruelling three set, three tie-break battle against Vilius Gaubas in the third round.
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.
