Carlos Alcaraz begins his US Open title defence against Russia’s Roman Safiullin in what will be the first major test of his fitness since a long-term wrist injury.
The second-seeded Spaniard, who won the men’s title in New York last year, has not played a competitive singles match for more than four months because of inflammation in his right playing wrist. Despite that extended absence, Alcaraz remains one of the leading favourites to win the tournament again, particularly after his great rival Jannik Sinner withdrew with a knee injury.
Alcaraz and Sinner have appeared to be a level above much of the men’s tour over the past two seasons. However, returning from a prolonged lay-off with a delicate wrist problem and defeating the rest of the field would be a remarkable achievement, even for a player regarded as a generational talent.
Alcaraz faces immediate fitness test
The seven-time major champion missed this season’s French Open and Wimbledon because of the injury, which did not require surgery. He returned to court earlier this week in the US Open mixed doubles alongside Serena Williams.
Wearing a long compression sleeve on his right arm, Alcaraz did not look entirely convincing in the exhibition-style event. He appeared to be understandably holding back on his serve and return as he gradually readjusted to competitive match play.
A Grand Slam singles match played over five sets will provide a significantly greater physical challenge. Safiullin is not an ideal opening opponent, with the 29-year-old Russian possessing a powerful serve and aggressive groundstrokes.
Safiullin reached the fourth round at Wimbledon last month before losing to Novak Djokovic. He is likely to try to take time away from Alcaraz, test his resilience from the baseline and make the Spaniard uncomfortable throughout the match.
Alcaraz’s potential US Open route
Predicting how a Grand Slam draw will unfold is always difficult, but even reaching the fourth round could leave Alcaraz facing increasingly demanding opponents given the length of his absence.
Based on the seedings, Alcaraz could meet the consistent American Tommy Paul or the unpredictable Kazakh Alexander Bublik in the last 16.
Athletic Frenchman Arthur Fils and big-serving American Ben Shelton are among the potential quarter-final opponents, while Djokovic could await in the semi-finals.
Only Alcaraz and his core team know how his wrist will respond to the demands of five-set tennis in the heat of a Grand Slam tournament. A difficult opening match at Flushing Meadows, followed by a potentially intimidating second week, should provide the clearest indication of whether he is ready to defend his US Open crown.
Source: www.bbc.com
