Carlos Alcaraz opened his 2026 US Open campaign with a straight-sets win over Roman Safiullin, yet Greg Rusedski believes the Spaniard still leaves room for doubt. After 139 days without a singles match, Alcaraz returned to the Grand Slam stage and produced a 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 result in the first round.

The reigning US Open champion is now pursuing an eighth Grand Slam title, as well as a second major of the season after his Australian Open triumph. Safiullin was regarded by some as a difficult first-round opponent, given his run to the 2023 Wimbledon quarter-finals and his fourth-round showing at the grass-court major last month. Even so, Alcaraz handled the assignment in convincing fashion.

Rusedski, speaking on the latest episode of his Off Court With Greg Rusedski podcast, said the performance was impressive but stressed that the key issue may come in the next round. The former British No 1 noted that Alcaraz’s return from a right wrist injury surprised many observers, himself included, and pointed to serve speed as the main area to monitor.

“It was actually quite impressive from Alcaraz. No matches for 139 days, decides to start at a three out of five set tournament,” said the 1997 US Open runner-up.

“Yes, Safiullin didn’t play great, but still Alcaraz found a way through. It was box office. Just incredible to see what he’s done because most people need a few matches to get ready to get that confidence, that belief.

“The big question mark for me is: how does he bounce back the next day? How does the wrist feel? Because you have that adrenaline in your body.

“And if I was going to be critical on one thing, service speed was down, averaging 112 miles per hour. He’s usually 120 range.

“So, he was obviously taking a little bit off the first serve. Forehand was huge from the ground strokes. He was hitting as hard as ever, which was a positive.

We saw that huge forehand on break point to get the opening set break use of the drop shot.

“So, there are so many more positives, but the question mark, still, is round two. Is the wrist good enough? Will the speeds be there? Will he increase?

“If he does increase, this is a huge positive for our sport because we desperately wanted him back, and opening round, very good signs from the former world No 1.”

Alcaraz said in his press conference that the reduced first-serve speed was intentional, but Rusedski argued that approach cannot remain in place against stronger opposition. He highlighted Alcaraz’s 66% first-serve points won against Safiullin, while also praising his second-serve defence, which he said was above 60%.

The next test for Alcaraz comes against world No 72 Jaime Faria in the second round at Flushing Meadows.

Carlos Alcaraz began his US Open campaign with a straight-sets win over Roman Safiullin on the Grand Slam’s second day, marking a successful return to competition after a wrist injury forced him out since April’s Barcelona Open.

The Spaniard needed only one match to remind the field why he remains among the favourites for the title, especially with Novak Djokovic already gone and Jannik Sinner absent from the draw. His reward is a second-round meeting with Jaime Faria, while the road ahead could become far more demanding if he keeps progressing.

Not everyone is fully convinced the tournament will unfold smoothly for him. Greg Rusedski remains wary of Alcaraz’s condition, but several other pundits have pointed to the ease of his New York start as a positive sign.

On Sky Sports’ US Open coverage, Martina Navratilova described the timing of Alcaraz’s comeback as a “perfect situation” after his five-month absence. She said the match did not overtax him and argued that the best-of-five format can work in his favour, provided his arm stays healthy.

“He was pushed but not too much, he is going to get better and the three out of five format really helps him here, as long as the arm doesn’t get hurt,” continued Navratilova.

“If it holds up, three out of five is great because it gives him a little cushion. He doesn’t have to stress about getting broken and the other guy has to play well for three of five sets and that gives him a chance to get into the tournament.

“You could see during the match that he became more comfortable and at the end he hit that unbelievable drop shot volley inside out. He is all back!”

Navratilova also recalled speaking to him backstage after he had secured his place in round two.

“I bumped into him in the hallway,” she added. “He is so happy to be back and see everybody, that’s what he said. You can see it. He is a competitor and a kid at heart.

“He is playing a sport for a living and he is phenomenal at it and what is not to love? It is so great to have him back.”

If Alcaraz gets through Faria, he would next face either James Duckworth or Wu Yibing. A possible fourth-round match against Alexander Bublik or Tommy Paul would provide a much sterner examination of his limited match practice.

Left-handers remain a notable presence in the WTA top 200, with eight in the top 100 and another 16 sitting between 101 and 200. That means 12% of the top 200 players on the women’s tour play left-handed, and Alex Eala is among the four ranked inside the top 30.

Based on the latest WTA Rankings from Monday 31 August, here is a look at the seven highest-ranked left-handed players in women’s tennis.

At No 7 is Oksana Selekhmeteva, who is ranked 93rd and owns a career-best mark of 71st, reached in March 2026. The 23-year-old changed nationality from Russian to Spanish earlier this year and has claimed two WTA 125 titles.

No 6 is Wang Xiyu, currently 80th in the rankings. The Chinese player reached a career-high of 49th in January 2023 and has one WTA Tour title, won in Guangzhou in 2023.

Leylah Fernandez holds the No 5 spot on this list. She is 33rd in the world, 20 places off her best ranking of 13th from August 2022. The Canadian has won five WTA Tour titles, including one at 500 level and four at 250 level, and was runner-up at the 2021 US Open.

Sara Bejlek is ranked 30th and sits just one place from her career-best of 29th, achieved last month. The 20-year-old Czech has one title, taken at the WTA 500 event in Abu Dhabi in February.

Maja Chwalinska is No 3 among the left-handers, placed 23rd and one spot shy of her peak of 22nd from June this year. The 24-year-old Pole has not yet won a main-tour title, but she has three 125/Challenger titles and reached her only tour-level final at the 2026 French Open as a qualifier.

Alex Eala comes in at No 2. She is at a career-high world No 18 after a strong run before the 2026 US Open. The 21-year-old won her only title so far in Washington DC last month and reached the fourth round at the 2026 Wimbledon Championships.

Diana Shnaider tops the group as the highest-ranked left-hander in the women’s game. The world No 16 reached a career-best No 11 in May 2025, has five WTA Tour titles, and made her best Grand Slam run by reaching the semi-finals at the 2026 French Open.