A Long Absence Sets the Stage
Carlos Alcaraz is set to make his competitive singles return at the US Open after missing action since April due to a wrist injury. His first-round opponent is Roman Safiullin, and the match will be watched closely by fans and rivals alike. The wrist has dominated the conversation, but Daniil Medvedev is steering attention elsewhere.
Medvedev's reasoning is straightforward: if Alcaraz and his team have decided to compete, they must be confident the wrist can hold up. The Russian argues that a wrist injury does not become dramatically worse over two extra sets. Whether he plays three sets or five, he said, if the wrist is not healed, it would likely cause problems early regardless of match length.
Legs, Glutes, and Match Sharpness
What Medvedev flagged as a genuine concern is the physical conditioning that comes from months without competitive matches. After such a long layoff, legs, glutes, and overall stamina take a hit that practice sessions alone cannot fully replace. A tough, grinding five-set match could expose those gaps in a way that shorter contests might not.
Alcaraz himself acknowledged the difficulty of the decision, saying he and his team put in long, intense training sessions specifically to gauge how the wrist would respond under pressure. He called it a belief that he was ready, but also admitted it was far from an easy call.
Medvedev added a warm note, saying he planned to watch the match partly because Safiullin is a close friend, and that he genuinely hopes Alcaraz feels no pain and plays freely. TennisDraw bracket users have been divided on how deep Alcaraz can realistically advance given the extended time off.
