Carlos Alcaraz wins, Stefanos Tsitsipas falls at US Open - ESPN

Carlos Alcaraz was given a scare by Australian qualifier Li Tu in the first round of the US Open on Tuesday before going on to seal a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory in New York.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz, who lost to Novak Djokovic in the final of the Paris Olympics, got off to a hot start before errors began to pile up and he dropped the second set.

The Spaniard restored order by whipping a forehand to break in the third set for a 4-3 lead and never looked back, claiming the victory with his eighth ace to set up a second-round meeting with Dutch player Botic Van De Zandschulp.

Tu, an Adelaide native who stepped away from tennis in 2014 for six years to get a degree and start a tennis academy, won three qualifying matches to earn his first appearance on Arthur Armstrong Stadium court against the third seed.

Alcaraz won the French Open in June and defeated Djokovic to triumph at Wimbledon a month later but was left disappointed after falling short at the Paris Games before suffering a shock defeat to Gael Monfils at the Cincinnati Open.

The 21-year-old, who won the US Open in 2022, showed no signs that his movement was limited by a right ankle injury he suffered during a practice session Saturday.

Elsewhere in men's first-round action Tuesday, No. 11 Stefanos Tsitsipas' US Open woes continued as he suffered a 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 defeat to Thanasi Kokkinakis.

After losing a close first set in a tiebreaker, Tsitsipas rallied to win the second and level the match, but he appeared to be bothered by an abdominal issue.

Tsitsipas, a two-time Grand Slam finalist, has never made it past the third round at Flushing Meadows.

He also struggled leading up to the tournament, winning just one of his three matches at the