Carlos Alcaraz had not played a singles match since mid-April. On Monday, August 31, 2026, he walked into Arthur Ashe Stadium for the US Open and beat Roman Safiullin 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, with a wrist injury behind him and a title to defend.
Bleacher Report said the 23-year-old showed no signs of rust. He saved five of the six break points he faced and won 19 of 24 points at the net. Perfect Tennis noted that he did not seem to be hitting his serve or forehand at full pace early on, then loosened up as the match went along. The win took just over two hours.
Tsitsipas and the day’s upset
The result of the day, in Perfect Tennis’s view, belonged to Stefanos Tsitsipas. He beat Arthur Fils, the No. 10 seed and Cincinnati champion, 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-1, 6-4. Fils arrived in New York on a six-match winning streak and had beaten Tsitsipas in all five of their earlier meetings. He led 5-2 in the second set, failed to serve it out at 5-3, and lost the tiebreak. Tsitsipas finished with 50 winners, 14 of them aces. Bleacher Report called it his first top-10 win at a major since 2022.
Ben Shelton, the No. 8 seed and top-ranked American, dropped the first set 6-1 in about half an hour, then beat Tallon Griekspoor 1-6, 6-1, 7-6 (3), 6-2. He is set to meet Hubert Hurkacz next.
Other results from the men’s draw:
Frances Tiafoe, the No. 11 seed, needed five sets against Martin Damm, who hit 28 aces, and closed it out at 12:50 a.m. Matteo Berrettini beat Stan Wawrinka 7-6 (4), 7-6 (3), 6-0 in what Perfect Tennis described as Wawrinka’s final Grand Slam match. Alexei Popyrin knocked out Grigor Dimitrov in four sets.
Sabalenka and Osaka
In the women’s draw, top seed Aryna Sabalenka opened her bid for a third straight US Open title with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Camila Osorio. Naomi Osaka, the No. 13 seed, edged Anastasia Zakharova 7-6 (6), 7-6 (3). She had led 5-2 in the first set before Zakharova won four games in a row, and she took that tiebreak 8-6. Iga Swiatek beat Wang Xiyu 6-2, 6-3, and Amanda Anisimova beat Ashlyn Krueger 6-1, 6-3.
Tuesday’s schedule and where to watch
First-round play continues Tuesday on ESPN, and every match is also on ESPN Unlimited. Bleacher Report listed Alexander Zverev against Lorenzo Sonego in the 8:30 p.m. ET slot. Taylor Fritz, the No. 9 seed, plays Darwin Blanch, Alex de Minaur plays Andrea Guerrieri and Gael Monfils takes on Adolfo Daniel Vallejo. On the women’s side, Coco Gauff faces Zeynep Sonmez at 7 p.m. ET and Alexandra Eala plays Mary Stoiana at 9 p.m. ET. Elena Rybakina and Mirra Andreeva are also in action.
Sources
- US Open Tennis 2026 Results, Day 2 Bracket Winners, Losers, Highlights and Day 3 Schedule
- US Open 2026 Day Two Recap – Perfect Tennis
