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Carlos Alcaraz wins on US Open return as Sabalenka and Anisimova also advance
On Monday, August 31—the second day of 2026 US Open main draw play—defending champion Carlos Alcaraz returned after 139 days away with a 6 4, 6 4, 6 4 win over Roman Safiullin. Aryna Sabalenka began her bid for a third consecutive US Open title by beating Camila Osorio 6 2, 6 4, while Amanda Anisimova defeated Ashly...
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- On Monday, August 31—the second day of 2026 US Open main draw play—defending champion Carlos Alcaraz returned after 139 days away with a 6 4, 6 4, 6 4 win over Roman Safiullin.
- Aryna Sabalenka began her bid for a third consecutive US Open title by beating Camila Osorio 6 2, 6 4, while Amanda Anisimova defeated Ashlyn Krueger 6 1, 6 3.
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openai.comCreate a landscape editorial hero image for this Studio Global article: What happened on the opening day of the 2026 US Open, including Carlos Alcaraz’s return from a five-month right-wrist injury layoff and his. Article summary: Carlos Alcaraz’s return was the headline of the US Open’s second day of main-draw play: after 139 days out with a right-wrist injury, the defending champion beat Roman Safiullin 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to open his title defence. [. Topic tags: general, general web, news. Style: premium digital editorial illustration, source-backed research mood, clean composition, high detail, modern web publication hero. Use reference image context only for broad subject, composition, and topical grounding; do not copy the exact image. Avoid: logos, brand marks, copyrighted characters, real person likenesses, fake screenshots, UI text, readable text, watermarks, charts with fake numbers,
Carlos Alcaraz’s comeback was the defining story of Monday, August 31, at the 2026 US Open. Returning to singles competition after 139 days away with a right-wrist injury, the defending champion defeated Roman Safiullin 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to begin his title defense. 3
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The date matters: these matches were played on Day 2 of the main draw, not on the tournament’s opening Sunday. Singles main-draw action began on August 30. 1
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Alcaraz wins, but the scoreline hides a close contest
Alcaraz controlled the moments that decided each set, yet the match was not as one-sided as three straight sets might imply. He won 99 total points to Safiullin’s 91—an eight-point difference across the match. 20
That gap helps explain the shape of the result. Safiullin, ranked No. 99, stayed close enough to pressure Alcaraz, but the No. 2 seed converted the key opportunities and avoided being drawn into a deciding set. The official draw records the 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 scoreline. 3
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A positive physical test after five months away
Alcaraz had not played a competitive singles match since April, making the first-round match an important test of whether his right wrist could withstand Grand Slam competition. Reports from the match said he showed no obvious problems with the injury, and Alcaraz described the wrist and arm as feeling good afterward. 19
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He also said he was “really happy” to be competing again. 26
30 The result answered the immediate question—whether he could return and win—but not every question about his tournament readiness. A best-of-five-set Grand Slam requires sustained physical and competitive sharpness, and one match cannot establish how he will respond as the draw becomes more demanding.
Sabalenka starts her three-peat attempt
Top seed Aryna Sabalenka also opened her campaign with a straight-sets victory, defeating Camila Osorio 6-2, 6-4 in Arthur Ashe Stadium. The result began Sabalenka’s pursuit of a third consecutive US Open championship. 38
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Some early listings gave the score as 6-4, 6-4, but the official US Open match report records 6-2, 6-4. 38
45 Sabalenka therefore joins Alcaraz among the defending champions to progress from Monday’s schedule.
Anisimova marks her birthday with a win
Amanda Anisimova celebrated her birthday by beating Ashlyn Krueger 6-1, 6-3. The No. 10 seed’s straight-sets victory was another clean result in the women’s draw on Day 2. 34
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Zheng survives Liutova after losing the first set
On another court, Zheng Qinwen recovered from losing the opening set to defeat Kristina Liutova 4-6, 6-3, 6-1. Available score records support the three-set result and show Liutova taking the first set before Zheng turned the match around. 8
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The supplied reporting describes Liutova’s appearance as a notable main-draw debut and mentions a nine-match winning streak, but the available high-authority source material does not independently establish those details. The confirmed takeaway is the match itself: Liutova led after one set, while Olympic champion Zheng advanced by winning the final two sets. 8
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What Day 2 means for the tournament
The day produced reassuring opening signals for both defending champions. Alcaraz returned without an apparent wrist problem and moved into the second round, but his slim points advantage suggests that his next matches may reveal more about his level than Monday’s scoreline alone. Sabalenka, meanwhile, began her three-peat bid with a straightforward win, and Anisimova added another decisive result to the day’s headline schedule. 3
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For Alcaraz, the first hurdle was not simply winning. It was proving that he could compete again. He cleared that hurdle in straight sets; the longer-term question is whether his body and best-of-five-set fitness hold up through the later rounds.
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On Monday, August 31—the second day of 2026 US Open main draw play—defending champion Carlos Alcaraz returned after 139 days away with a 6 4, 6 4, 6 4 win over Roman Safiullin.
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On Monday, August 31—the second day of 2026 US Open main draw play—defending champion Carlos Alcaraz returned after 139 days away with a 6 4, 6 4, 6 4 win over Roman Safiullin. Aryna Sabalenka began her bid for a third consecutive US Open title by beating Camila Osorio 6 2, 6 4, while Amanda Anisimova defeated Ashlyn Krueger 6 1, 6 3.