The Spaniard felt “really really nervous” Monday morning before taking Arthur Ashe stadium for his first round match, but never looked threatened as he prevailed over the Russian 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.
Alcaraz told a courtside interviewer he was thrilled to be back in New York, where he won his first of seven Grand Slams. He revealed no lingering effects from a wrist injury that kept him out of the last two Grand Slams.
“I missed the crowd, I missed the energy, I missed competition, I missed everything,” he said. “I’m really happy to compete again.”
A powerful baseliner with a prior win over Alcaraz, Safiullin kept close in all three sets, but never looked likely to threaten the Spaniard.
The match was even at 3-3 when Alcaraz snagged a break with a big forehand, the signature weapon he used to take control of many of the longer rallies.
Safiullin broke early in the second set, but Alcaraz, moving well and breaking up rallies with surprise drop shots and occasional serve and volley plays, quickly broke back and broke again.
He broke early in the third set and never looked back.
Alcaraz described the experience as a “difficult day” but “at the same time, a really beautiful one.
“It’s kind of I forgot how match day looks like,” he said. “You know, I was warming up, and I don’t remember actually what I used to do, you know, in the warm-up.”
After winning his opening match in Barcelona in April, Alcaraz withdrew from the tournament due to the wrist injury, which also kept him from the French Open and Wimbledon.
