NEW YORK — Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz found himself in an unfamiliar position during his second match at the US Open. After going through last year’s tournament without losing a set before the final, the No. 2 seed trailed by a set on Wednesday night against Jaime Faria. The setback did not last long. Alcaraz answered with eight straight games and swept through the second set without losing a game, eventually winning 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 to move into the third round.

The opening set gave Alcaraz a challenge he had not expected at that stage of the tournament. Faria, who is three months younger than Alcaraz, broke for a 4-3 lead and used a powerful serve to stay in front. Alcaraz admitted afterward that his mindset after being broken worked against him. “After that I just wanted to play short points, which was a mistake for me,” he said. “I just needed to play patient, to play long rallies, three, four, five shots, and then go for it.”

For a brief spell, Alcaraz looked as if he might be vulnerable. He missed four months earlier in the season because of a right wrist injury, and this was only his second match at Flushing Meadows since returning to Grand Slam action. But once he found his timing, the match changed completely. He started stepping into his forehand, moved Faria around the court, and stopped making the unforced errors that had marked his first-set performance.

After a slow start, Alcaraz adapts

Alcaraz said he knew immediately that he was not playing the right style. He rushed too much after losing serve, trying to end points too quickly instead of constructing them properly. The solution was simple: use his legs, extend rallies, and force Faria to produce more on every point. The shift was visible in the second set, where Alcaraz did not drop a single game and looked like the player who has dominated so many big matches over the past few seasons.

“I wanted to be quick, to be honest. I’m not going to lie,” Alcaraz said. “But at the end, I realized that just playing four sets, it was really good for me to test everything physically, to test my body, how I feel, and tomorrow how I’m going to feel after this match.”

That response captured the mood of Alcaraz’s return. He is no longer in pain, he said, and he has been practicing without restrictions. Still, after sitting out so much of the season, he did not know exactly where his game stood until he faced real competition. Now he has a better idea after a test stretched over four sets rather than three.

A major champion with a massive year

The 23-year-old Spaniard has been open about the uncertainty around his current level. The wrist problem not only kept him off the tour for four months but also forced him to miss the French Open and Wimbledon. Those are two of the biggest events on the calendar, and missing them meant Alcaraz arrived in New York with limited match sharpness at the exact moment everyone expected him to contend again.

Alcaraz, who picked up his seventh major title at this year’s Australian Open, is on a 16-match winning streak in Grand Slam tournaments. That is the longest such run of his career. He is 29-1 in his past 30 matches at the majors, with the only loss coming against Jannik Sinner in last year’s Wimbledon final. Those numbers help explain why Medvedev called him a clear favorite even before the tournament began.

No set lost until the final in his last US Open run

There was also the weight of history at this event. Last year, Alcaraz did not drop a set until the final against Jannik Sinner. He became the first man since Roger Federer in 2015 to go through his first six matches at the US Open without losing a set. He then beat Sinner in four sets to claim his second US Open title and add another chapter to his growing rivalry with the world’s best players.

That dominance made Wednesday’s opening-set loss feel unusual. Alcaraz has now been broken three times in this tournament, including twice against Faria. For context, he was broken only three times in 101 service games during last year’s title run. He viewed the extra work as useful, especially after a period in which he was unable to compete. Instead of worrying about the dropped set, he chose to see it as a chance to prove his body could handle a more demanding afternoon.

Medvedev sees a top favorite

Daniil Medvedev, the 2021 US Open champion, knows what it takes to win in New York. Medvedev said Alcaraz is always among the leading contenders when he is in the draw.

“We have no idea how Carlos’ wrist is going to feel, body is going to feel going later into the tournament, but he’s definitely a top favorite for the title,” Medvedev said.

Those comments underlined the respect Alcaraz has earned across the tour. Even after an injury-interrupted season, his name is near the top of every list of contenders. His movement, shot-making, and mental strength make him dangerous on every surface, but particularly on the hard courts of New York, where he has already produced some of the most memorable tennis of his career.

Faria gives Alcaraz a real test

Faria, a young opponent with nothing to lose, showed why he cannot be underestimated. He played with courage in the opening set, served well when he needed to, and took advantage of Alcaraz’s early impatience. Faria broke for a 4-3 lead and then used his aggressive returning to put pressure on the defending champion. For a while, the match had the look of an upset in the making.

Alcaraz’s response was a reminder of what separates great champions from the rest of the field. Instead of letting frustration take over, he made a tactical adjustment. He stopped trying to hit winners from difficult positions and began constructing points more carefully. Once the rallies became longer, Alcaraz’s superior footwork and variety took over. Faria could not sustain the same level of serving accuracy, and Alcaraz took command of every department of the game.

Playing without fear

Alcaraz has always said that he wants to play without regret. That approach has produced spectacular highlights, but it also carries risk. After a period of injury, he admitted that the challenge is not only physical but mental. The fear of overhitting or protecting the wrist can creep into a player’s mind. Alcaraz insisted that he has moved past that stage.

“I know once I step on the court, I’ve just got to go for it every time,” Alcaraz said. “I have to hit like I was hitting before the injury, and let’s see what happens after that.”

“I’m just feeling great,” he added. “There is no reason to be afraid and not hitting normal.”

Source: MSN News