Madrid opens: Alcaraz takes a bullet to the arm

Carlos Alcaraz, the two-time reigning champion, won his first match at the Madrid Open with ease on Wednesday, showing no signs of being hindered by a bothersome arm issue.

In the third-ranked player’s first match in over a month, he easily defeated Alexander Shevchenko, 6-2, 6-1.

Alcaraz had just recovered from a right arm ailment that had prevented him from competing in Barcelona and Monte Carlo. This week, he expressed uncertainty about his ability to play in Madrid. “I had my doubts and I wasn’t sure how I would feel on the court,” Alcaraz said.

Before defeating Magda Linette 6-3, 4-6 6-3 in her first encounter, defending champion Aryna Sabalenka had to overcome strong opposition.

Even though the two-time Australian Open champion Sabalenka, ranked second, sometimes had trouble with her serve, she hit her tenth ace on match point at the Caja Magica in the capital of Spain.

When Linette was unable to reach a ball by the Belarusian that clipped the top of the tape, Sabalenka had some assistance from the net to win a crucial break and lead 5-3 in the third set.

Elena Rybakina, ranked fourth, defeated Lucia Bronzetti 6-4 6-3, while Ashlyn Krueger, ranked American, defeated Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3 6-3. Additionally making progress were Mirra Andreeva, Carolina Garcia, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, and Jasmine Paolini.