Jessica Pegula suggested that Carlos Alcaraz’s choice to return from injury at the US Open may have been carefully planned by his camp.

Alcaraz has been out for four months after a wrist injury suffered at the Barcelona Open. Now he is set to step back into competition at Flushing Meadows, a decision that drew attention because a Grand Slam is an unusual place to restart after such a long break. Even so, the Spaniard says he believes he is ready to defend his title in New York.

“It is possible [to win it],” the seven-time major champion – who faces Roman Safiullin in the first round – said during his pre-tournament press conference.

“I think a lot of people have shown it. [Roger] Federer, [Rafael] Nadal, many people have shown that you can win a Grand Slam after having been injured for a long time or having had a very serious injury. So we’re going to try to hold on to that belief that I can too.”

Pegula, the world No 3, said she was initially surprised that he skipped Cincinnati but still chose to enter the US Open. She explained that the format may make the decision more workable for a player of his level.

“I think I was a little surprised that he didn’t play Cincy but then still played here [in the US Open] because of that. I was like, ‘Wow, that’s that’s a tough thing to do.’ But I think that he’s kind of a special player.

“Obviously, I think it maybe also a little bit different for the men, three out of five. I do think that it gives a little bit more leeway for him to work his way into matches where if it’s two out of three for, like for the women, I mean, that to me is a little bit tougher because you lose the first set and you come out a little rusty, you’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, like if I don’t win the second set, I’m out.’

“And so I think the men having more time with a three-out-of-five is probably something that makes me think, ‘okay, maybe it makes a little bit more sense for him to do that.

“But yeah, he’s a special player. I mean, he’s a super charismatic, friendly, outgoing person. I think that he’s going to feed off of the energy no matter what. I mean, I don’t think he’s forgotten how to play tennis, and I think if he can win his first couple of rounds, he’s going to find his form very, very fast.”

Novak Djokovic’s 2026 US Open began in the worst possible way, as he was beaten in the first round in New York for the first time in his career. The result also triggers a significant slide in the ATP Rankings.

With Jannik Sinner sidelined at Flushing Meadows because of a knee problem and Carlos Alcaraz still recovering from a wrist injury, Djokovic had been viewed by some as a leading contender for the season-ending major. Seeded fourth, he also appeared to have a workable section of the draw, with 16th seed Brandon Nakashima the highest-ranked player in his part of the bracket and a possible quarter-final meeting with seventh seed Daniil Medvedev or 11th seed Frances Tiafoe.

Few expected Mariano Navone to create serious trouble in the opening round. The Argentine was only making his third US Open appearance and had won just once at the event before this match.

Yet Navone pushed Djokovic early, taking the first set before the former world No 1 responded by winning the next two. Djokovic then seemed positioned to close it out after moving 2-1 ahead in the fourth set and earning an early break. But the world No 49 seized control from there, aided by Djokovic’s illness and lower back problem, and finished strongly by taking 11 of the last 12 games to complete a 7-6 (7-5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 victory.

Navone will next face either Matteo Berrettini or Stan Wawrinka, while Djokovic heads home.

The defeat carries a major ranking cost. Djokovic reached the semi-final at Flushing Meadows 12 months ago, losing to Carlos Alcaraz in a 6-4, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 match that earned him 800 points. This year, a first-round exit is worth only 10 points, leaving him to drop 790 points overall.

He began the tournament at No 5 in the official rankings with 3,770 points, but has fallen six places to No 11 in the Live ATP Rankings, his lowest position in eight years, having last gone as low as No 21 in July 2018.

Prize money is unlikely to be a concern in the immediate aftermath, though Djokovic will still collect $140,000 for his first-round exit. His career earnings stand at $194,691,590, including $3,017,725 already earned in 2026.

Stan Wawrinka will make one last visit to the US Open after a late wildcard offered him an unexpected route into the main draw.

The three-time Grand Slam champion had been set to miss the tournament after the original men’s singles wildcards were allocated and the start of the event was less than 96 hours away. That changed when Patrick Kypson withdrew because of injury, prompting a late call on Wednesday to Wawrinka, who had already returned to Switzerland.

His exclusion from the initial list drew criticism because of his history at the event. Wawrinka won the 2016 title in New York, beating defending champion Novak Djokovic in four sets to claim the third and final Grand Slam trophy of his career.

At his pre-tournament press conference, he made clear how much the return means to him. “Right now, I’m feeling really good,” remarked the former world No 3 during his pre-tournament press conference.

“I’m super happy to be here and very grateful for the wildcard. For me, this is my last year and my last Grand Slam of my career, so of course it will be special when I step onto the court.

“I will feel it, that’s for sure. But I’m very excited and very happy. I’m enjoying having this opportunity to be here one last time.

“Playing this final year is, of course, special, but being able to compete at all four Grand Slams was important to me, and I’m enjoying it a lot.”

Wawrinka also said there were no hard feelings after the original omission. “It was a bit of a roller coaster [to be given the wildcard], of course, because I went back home to New York on Monday night.

“For me, at that moment, it felt like the end of my Grand Slam career. I would have loved to be here, so I had to accept those emotions after not receiving the wildcard, and I was fine with it.

“At the end of the day, I always say that the only way to be sure of playing in a tournament is to have the necessary ranking. I knew I wasn’t directly on the list, so I was hoping for a wildcard, but I also know that wildcards are not guaranteed.

“Not getting one wasn’t a problem for me. I was just sad that I couldn’t say goodbye to New York and the US Open. I received the call on Wednesday night, or Wednesday afternoon, when I was in the Swiss mountains. Of course, I was happy and had to quickly arrange my return.”

Now back in New York, he has resumed practice and will open against Matteo Berrettini on Monday night on the Grandstand. The pair recently met at Wimbledon in a match decided entirely by tie-breaks, with Berrettini winning 6-7(7), 7-6(16), 7-6(7), 7-6(5).

“It will be a very interesting rematch, of course,” he analysed.

“Wimbledon was a tough battle. It was a great match, and I think we both played well. Over four hours, four tie-breaks – it was really special, especially on Court 1.

“In the end, he is a really tough player to face. He’s a great guy and also a good friend, so it will be special to play against him here again.”