Alcaraz Opens US Open Title Defense Against Safiullin Amid Controversy
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Alcaraz opens US Open title defense vs. Safiullin Carlos Alcaraz will open the defense of his US Open title against Roman Safiullin, an opponent who made a strong run at Wimbledon while the Spaniard was sidelined with an injury.
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BBC SportPublished Carlos Alcaraz will start his US Open title defence against Russia's Roman Safiullin in the first serious examination of his fitness following a long-term wrist injury.
CBS SportsCarlos Alcaraz's immediately commands the spotlight as the US Open draw delivers a fascinating roadmap toward the season's final Grand Slam championship. After time away from competition with a wrist injury, the seven-time major champion arrives in New York in defense of last year's hard-court title with questions about his ability to rediscover his dominance quickly.
Sky SportsAlcaraz now incredibly heads into the US Open as No 3 in the ATP Race to Turin despite being unable to compete in a number of top events.
Bleacher ReportAlcaraz is the defending champion after defeating Jannik Sinner in four sets during the 2025 US Open.
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Is this year's US Open men's singles tournament up for grabs? Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic joined by a host of players in the mix; watch the US Open from August 30 live on Sky Sports Tennis and Sky Sports+, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports app
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Bleacher ReportThe 2026 U.S. Open men's singles final could potentially feature a semifinal showdown between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic.
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Wimbledon semi-finalist Fery missed out on a US Open seeding and has paid the price with a daunting first-round meeting against last year's quarter-finalist Musetti.
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BBC SportFery narrowly missed out on a seeding and, having been drawn against 2025 quarter-finalist Musetti, has received a tough opener as a result.
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The US Open is live on Sky Sports from August 30. Stream tennis with no contract on NOW and the Sky Sports App. You can also watch the Laver Cup at The O2 in London from 25-27 September live on Sky Sports.
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The issue for Djokovic is that he struggled physically during his second-round defeat to Thiago Agustin Tirante at the Cincinnati Open earlier this month, so there are fears that his condition could come back to haunt him in the heat of New York.
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Bleacher ReportAfter collapsing during the Cincinnati Open due to what he described as a health issue exacerbated by heat and humidity, Djokovic cut a practice short in the lead-up to the singles draw.
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Zverev, looking for his second major title after finally breaking his duck at Roland Garros in June, is the top seed after Italy's Jannik Sinner withdrew with a knee injury.
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Sky SportsHe suffered early loss in Canada and a fourth-round defeat to Tommy Paul in Cincinnati but Sinner's absence will give Zverev, who becomes the first player in ATP ranking history to be the top seed at a major without previously reaching the top of the ATP throne, the incentive to rediscover his best hard-court tennis in a nick of time.
Bleacher ReportThose injuries could create an opening for the top-seeded participant in the draw, Alexander Zverev, whose 2026 French Open victory made him the first player other than Sinner or Alcaraz to win a major since 2024.
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Ben Shelton (Alcaraz's quarter) and Taylor Fritz (Auger-Aliassime's quarter) are each hoping to become the first American man to win the U.S. Open singles title since 2003.
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CBS SportsNo American man has won a major since Andy Roddick beat Juan Carlos Ferrero in the 2003 US Open final. Taylor Fritz's trip to the US Open final in 2024 was the closest an American man has come to ending the streak in two decades.
4 details only one outlet reported
Independent claims that didn't surface elsewhere in our corpus. Treat as supplementary — not corroborated across outlets.
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01 Sky Sports Although, some say 39-year-old Djokovic has a golden opportunity to finally land a record 25th Grand Slam singles title.
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02 CBS Sports Alcaraz's placement headlines a loaded men's bracket of Jannik Sinner (knee), filled with dangerous early-round opponents and emerging contenders eager to capitalize. The women's draw carries similar intrigue, with several title threats facing difficult paths through the opening week at Flushing Meadows.
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03 BBC Sport The 23-year-old Spaniard missed this season's French Open and Wimbledon as a result of the issue, which did not require surgery, before making his return to court in the US Open mixed doubles alongside Serena Williams earlier this week.
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04 Bleacher Report Alcaraz and Djokovic are featured on the same side of the men's singles draw that was revealed Thursday afternoon.
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Sources (5)
- bbc-sport
- cbssports
- espn
- skysports
- bleacherreport