Slow Start, Strong Finish for the Defending Champion
Carlos Alcaraz made it two wins from two at this year's US Open, but it was far from straightforward. The Spanish second seed dropped the opening set 4-6 to Portugal's Jaime Faria before shifting gears dramatically, eventually winning 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 in the New York night session. Alcaraz, 23, is working his way back from a long-term right wrist injury that kept him off the tour since mid-April, and the early wobble against the world number 72 was a reminder that rhythm takes time to rediscover. A critical moment arrived at the start of the second set, when Alcaraz saved two break points to hold serve. From that point forward, the match was virtually one-sided. He described the opening set as a lesson in patience: he felt he rushed his decision-making, and the drop in quality cost him. Once he steadied himself mentally, the result was never really in doubt.
Building Confidence and Momentum Through the Draw
After a comfortable straight-set opening victory over Roman Safiullin of Russia, Alcaraz now has a four-set win over Faria under his belt, and he openly welcomed the extra workload. He noted that playing a longer match gave him the chance to properly test his body and monitor how he would recover overnight. Crucially, Alcaraz insists he is hitting his forehand without restriction, saying there is no reason to hold back. The competitive landscape in New York has also opened up. Rival Jannik Sinner is absent through injury, and 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic is already eliminated. Alcaraz, who completed the career Grand Slam earlier this year with his Australian Open title, will be well aware of the opportunity ahead. TennisDraw users have been backing Alcaraz heavily as a deep-run pick in their US Open bracket predictions.
