US Open: Carlos Alcaraz walks back into the spotlight

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz (Reuters/Mike Frey Photo)NEW YORK CITY: Four months is a long time in tennis.Since Carlos Alcaraz injured his right wrist in a fateful moment in mid-April, the men’s tour, like the swirling seasons, has changed. Alexander Zverev won his first Grand Slam title at 29 during a fortnight when temperatures soared at Roland Garros, while world No. 1 Jannik Sinner defended his Wimbledon title. Spanish teenager Rafael Jodar shot up the ATP rankings, climbing from outside the top 500 to the brink of the world’s top 10 in less than a year.It is into this unpredictable landscape that a new-look Alcaraz walks.The 23-year-old, however, will take comfort from the fact that he returns to competitive tennis at the US Open, the Grand Slam where it all began for him. It was at this sprawling venue in New York’s Queens borough in 2022 that he claimed his maiden major crown and climbed to No. 1 in the rankings for the first time. It was here that he returned to the pinnacle again last year, defeating Sinner to claim his second US Open title.On Monday, Alcaraz, whose long, flowy locks, held back by a thin black headband, have already attracted plenty of wows from the fandom, opens against Roman Safiullin, the 29-year-old who lit up Wimbledon with his fight last month. The Russian also defeated Alcaraz in straight sets at the Paris Masters three years ago. The two most recent Masters 1000 champions, Ben Shelton and Arthur Fils, are potential quarter final opponents for second-seeded Alcaraz, who has 24-time major winner Novak Djokovic in his half.“I'm feeling great,” Alcaraz told international media at his pre-championship conference. “I think that right now it's (injury) is all in my head. I gotta trust my team, I gotta trust my people that tell me it's gonna be fine. So I just have to go 100%, and stay away from that fear.”“My team and I believe that I'm ready,” he added. “It wasn't an easy decision. I did whatever it took to be ready. I tried to do everything perfect on and off the court, really long practices, intense practices, just to see how my wrist is going to react.”Alcaraz practiced with the 23-year-old Holger Rune, the big-hitting former No. 4, in Murcia before arriving in New York.Even though Alcaraz enters the US Open after a four-month injury break and without a prior hard-court singles match, the second seed is hardly short of expectations.If anything, the last few months have underlined just how much Alcaraz, Sinner and the 39-year-old Djokovic matter to the men’s game. They are the sport’s biggest stars, the ones who put bums on seats. At Roland Garros in May-June, with Alcaraz out of tournament play and Sinner’s challenge wilting in the heat, Zverev’s title run became an uncomfortable one for the sport. The German’s two separate sets of domestic abuse allegations reshaped the way he has been covered in parts of the media.Now, with Sinner out with a dodgy right knee, the onus to carry the load for his generation falls on Alcaraz.Daniil Medvedev, the 30-year-old world No. 8, argued that if Alcaraz is at Flushing Meadows, it means he and his team are confident that the wrist has sufficiently recovered.“I don't think the wrist is going to be a problem,” he said. “It's more for the whole body itself. If he has a tough match, it could be interesting to see how he copes. It's really nice for me to see him here to play. If I have a chance, I’m going to watch his match, he's playing my friend Roman.”The sweet friendship angle aside, the tennis world’s eyes are on Alcaraz as he makes his comeback. Four months on, it is time to see if his wrist and tennis are ready.