Overview

• The No. 2 seed beat Reilly Opelka 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 on Arthur Ashe Stadium, winning 50 of 58 first‑serve points, saving all three break points and breaking three times.
• Alcaraz improved to 19-0 in first-round matches at Grand Slams, matching the Open Era mark shared by Rafael Nadal and Björn Borg.
• He said the shaved look followed a botched trim by his brother, drawing playful barbs from Frances Tiafoe and curiosity from Rory McIlroy, with Maria Sharapova praising his confidence.
• Next up is Italy’s Mattia Bellucci, as the ATP confirms Alcaraz will return to No. 1 if he matches or betters Jannik Sinner’s result in New York.
• Elsewhere in early action, Alexandra Eala claimed the Philippines’ first Grand Slam singles match win by upsetting Clara Tauson, and No. 6 seed Madison Keys lost to Renata Zarazua.