US Open 2024: Carlos Alcaraz is scared by qualifier Li Tu before reaching the second round

Carlos Alcaraz was scared by Australian qualifier Li Tu in the first round of the US Open on Tuesday before claiming a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz, who lost to Novak Djokovic in the final of the Paris Olympics, got off to a good start before mistakes piled up and he lost the second set.

The Spaniard restored order by breaking with a forehand in the third set to take a 4-3 lead and never looked back, sealing the win with his eighth ace and setting up a second-round meeting with Dutch player Botic van de Zandschulp.

Tu, an Adelaide native who took a six-year break from tennis in 2014 to complete a degree and set up a tennis academy, won three qualifying matches to face the third-seeded player on the Arthur Armstrong Stadium court for the first time.

“Of course he surprised me a little,” Alcaraz said in an interview on the pitch.

“He started the match a little nervous, but after the first set he grew up and started playing great tennis. Now I will follow him and his results because I am pretty sure I will see him again very, very soon,” he said.

Alcaraz won the first set easily and the subdued crowd seemed to accept a one-sided match.

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But Tu turned the tables and took a 5-4 lead in the second set with a passing shot that flew past the charging Alcaraz. He broke serve with a beautiful one-handed backhand down the line to level the match. As the crowd came to life, he raised his hand to his ear.

In the third set, Alcaraz's strength began to wear down Tu in hot and humid conditions and the 21-year-old took the win before thanking the fans for the “electrifying” atmosphere.

“This is one of the most electrifying courts with the most electrifying crowds I have ever played in front of. It is an honour to step onto this court and once again show people how to enjoy my tennis,” he said.

Alcaraz won the French Open in June and defeated Djokovic to triumph at Wimbledon a month later, but was bitterly disappointed after failing to make it to the Paris Games and finally suffering a surprise loss to Gael Monfils at the Cincinnati Open.

The 21-year-old, who won the 2022 US Open, showed no signs of his mobility being limited by a right ankle injury sustained during a training session on Saturday.