Carlos Alcaraz is back at the scene of his maiden Grand Slam success, with the Spaniard now keen on a second title.
Alcaraz is the third seed at the US Open, a tournament he won in 2022, defeating Casper Ruud for his first major win.
The Spaniard hasn’t had the ideal preparation for the tournament, with Alcaraz stopping a US Open practice session early due to injury.
But Alcaraz showed little signs of any such trouble in his first round clash with Li Tu, which he won 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.
The world number three now takes on Botic van de Zandschulp in round two in his Flushing Meadows title pursuit.
Carlos Alcaraz loves playing at the ‘crazy’ US Open
Aged just 21, Alcaraz has enjoyed phenomenal success at various events, with four Grand Slam titles to his name already.
He won the French Open and Wimbledon earlier this year, but admits that there is something particularly special about the US Open.
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“Here in New York it is crazy,” Alcaraz said in his first round press conference. “I love playing here in New York. The crowd gives you an energy that probably you don’t feel in other tournaments and courts.
“I love playing here. It is a huge honour and privilege that you can play on Arthur Ashe, every time I play matches on Ashe I try to enjoy as much as I can. It is a unique feeling playing on this amazing court in front of this crowd. It’s great.
“How do I adapt my game to a huge court? I try not to think about it. I try to move well and play good tennis.”
Can Carlos Alcaraz beat Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner to US Open success?
Arthur Ashe Stadium played host to the exciting battle between Alcaraz and Tu, with the latter certainly causing the former some problems.
But the young Spaniard proved just why he is one of the best out there with his display, and indeed one of the favourites to win the title.
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The former world number one will undoubtedly be chasing more US Open success, while returning to top spot in the world rankings may be on his mind.
But for now it is Jannik Sinner who holds occupies that position, with the top seed in New York followed by Novak Djokovic in second place.
The trio are very much the players to beat at Flushing Meadows, with Alcaraz set to be particularly hungry for success after his first round exit at the Cincinnati Open, which Sinner won.
Djokovic is, however, currently chasing a Grand Slam record, with the Serbian tied on 24 major titles with Margaret Court.
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