Carlos Alcaraz opened his US Open title defense by beating Roman Safiullin 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, saying his right wrist and arm felt "great" in his first Grand Slam match since April.
139 days after the injury layoff, the No. 2 seed returned without a warmup event and said his main goal in New York is to compete and see how his body reacts after matches.
Djokovic's first-round exit and Jannik Sinner's knee injury have thinned the men's field, potentially making the seven-time major champion an even stronger favorite if he stays healthy.
Aryna Sabalenka also advanced 6-4, 6-4 over Camila Osorio as she began her bid for a third straight US Open title, though she still needs help to keep the No. 1 ranking.