"I'll have to return as well as possible," Alcaraz's words before his first match at the US Open against Opelka

Alcaraz did not have an easy draw for his US Open debut. Facing Opelka, the Spaniard is aware that he will have to return his opponent's serves extremely well to win this match.

"It's going to be really tough to play Opelka for the first time. We all know his playing style, I have to be ready for it, prepare for the return of serve, put as many returns in play as possible. Get the right rhythm in the match, not make mistakes once the rally starts."

Eliminated in the second round last year against Van de Zandschulp, the El Palmar native is happy to have had more rest days between the end of Wimbledon and the start of the US Open:

"I feel good on the court, with the balls, I'm training well. It's very different from last year with the Olympics, I had more time to rest physically and mentally. It was a real advantage for me to go home for two weeks before heading to Cincinnati."

Finally, regarding his serve, the 22-year-old player explained how he has improved this aspect of his game to make it a real strength today:

"I paid so much attention to it when I was very young. We are Spanish, so the kick serve and the forehand were natural. I developed a lot on clay, so they are real weapons. I've been working on it since I was 14 because I knew it was going to be a real strength in my game. I try to use it as often as possible."

The match against Opelka will take place around 2:30 AM (French time) on Arthur Ashe Stadium.