Carlos Alcaraz opened his 2026 US Open campaign with a composed return to competitive tennis, defeating Roman Safiullin 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in two hours and 22 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The reigning champion, seeded second in Flushing Meadows and ranked world No 3, was playing his first singles match since a right wrist injury forced him out after the Barcelona Open on 14 April. It was a significant first step back for the seven-time Grand Slam champion, who had been away from match play for months.

Against the world No 99, Alcaraz kept the contest under control for most of the evening. He was broken only once, when Safiullin moved 2-0 ahead in the second set, but Alcaraz responded immediately by breaking back. In the other two sets, one break of serve was enough to separate the players.

The result carried added weight because of the long layoff and the quality of the opponent. Alcaraz did not face an easy opener, yet he handled the occasion with authority and left with a win that will ease him into the tournament.

Speaking in his on-court interview, Alcaraz said: “This has been a really tough five months. To be able to step onto Arthur Ashe and compete again means so much. I couldn’t have picked a better tournament than here in New York.

“It’s a really special place and tournament for me. I missed the crowd, the energy, and the competition. I’m just really happy I was able to get back out there and compete again.

“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.

“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.”

He added that his tennis must still improve, but said he expects to build gradually as the tournament continues: “The level of tennis has got to be better. I’m happy with the levelled I played in my first official match in four months.

“I’m proud about it. But I need more matches under the belt, get into the rhythm of the tournament. I’m pretty sure I’m going to get better and better after every day.

“I’m most proud of mentally being able to deal with the nerves and doubts.”

The 2026 US Open has begun to reshape the WTA rankings picture, with points from last year’s tournament now dropping and a new live world No. 1 emerging.

Aryna Sabalenka, who was defending 2,000 points from her title a year ago, has been overtaken by Elena Rybakina in the Live WTA Rankings. Rybakina, by contrast, was only due to lose 240 points, which has allowed her to move ahead. She controls her own fate from here, and a place in the semi-final would be enough to end Sabalenka’s long run at the top, a stretch that began in October 2024, and make her the 30th player to reach No. 1 in the WTA Rankings.

Sabalenka now faces pressure on another front as well. Jessica Pegula is only 90 points behind her in third, while Coco Gauff sits a further 21 points back in fourth. If Sabalenka exits early at Flushing Meadows, she could slide to No. 4 when the rankings are updated again on 14 September, provided Pegula and Gauff outperform her result.

Elsewhere in the Live WTA Rankings, Elina Svitolina has moved up two places, while Karolina Muchova and Iga Swiatek have each slipped one spot. Naomi Osaka, a semi-finalist last year, has dropped five places to No. 18 after 780 points came off her total.

That has helped Victoria Mboko, Diana Shnaider, Sorana Cirstea and Alex Eala move up, with Eala sitting at a provisional career high. Barbora Krejcikova has already exited after a straight-sets loss to Khamila Rakhimova and falls from No. 29 to No. 36 after losing 420 points. Emma Raducanu is No. 70 in the official rankings and currently -14 in the Live Rankings, while Katie Boulter is up 13 places to No. 49 after winning her opening match.

Novak Djokovic altered his schedule at the last moment before his opening US Open match, taking to Arthur Ashe Stadium for a hit shortly before facing Argentina’s Mariano Navone.

The opportunity emerged after Daniil Medvedev’s win over Hugo Gaston, which left a window on the main court at Flushing Meadows before the evening session. Djokovic took advantage of the break, and his appearance on the court so close to match time caught the attention of many observers.

At 39, Djokovic is still chasing his first Grand Slam title since his US Open triumph in 2023, as the pursuit of a record-breaking 25th major goes on. Even so, he has resisted being placed among the tournament’s main favourites, pointing to how late-stage Grand Slam runs have gone over the past three years.

His build-up has not been ideal. Djokovic lost his opening match at the Cincinnati Open against Argentina’s Thiago Agustín Tirante, leaving him with limited preparation for New York. Still, he believes the break gave him valuable time to reset.

“I don’t like early losses anywhere, to be honest, but it gave me time to be prepared for US Open in a most adequate way,” he said.

“I had almost a few weeks, actually two weeks, to really train and get my body and mind into the right state, prepared for what’s coming up.

“So it remains to be seen. If you ask me if I’m prepared, I feel like I am as best as I can be, but it’s different, training [on the one hand] and then getting out on the Arthur Ashe Stadium and playing best-of-five.

“I’m excited and blessed to have another year to go out there and experience probably the most electric and fun night sessions we have in our sport.”

Djokovic also said he should not be seen as one of the leading contenders this year, naming Carlos Alcaraz and Ben Shelton as players he thinks are better placed in New York.

“I think it’s Alcaraz, and I think the other guys, like Shelton, probably are in better shape than I am, but you never know,” said Djokovic.

“YI love playing Grand Slams, and I have proven throughout my career that I’m able to win it and get far in any tournament, even when it comes to Grand Slams, even when I haven’t had too many lead-up matches.

“I always like my chances, best of five, playing night sessions on Arthur Ashe Stadium, there’s nothing like it.”