Overview

• Carlos Alcaraz defeated Reilly Opelka 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 in a night-session opener at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
• His return-focused game plan blunted Opelka’s serve as Alcaraz controlled key moments despite limited baseline rhythm.
• The victory extends Alcaraz’s run of opening-match wins at Grand Slams to 19 in a row over five seasons.
• Alcaraz said his brother botched a trim, prompting the full shave; Frances Tiafoe jokingly called the look “horrible,” and the crowd cheered when Alcaraz polled them post-match.
• Next up is Italy’s Mattia Bellucci, who advanced past Juncheng Shang, in what will be their first ATP Tour meeting; elsewhere, Argentina’s Francisco Comesaña upset Alex Michelsen as Federico Gómez and Sebastián Báez exited.