Despite playing with a compression sleeve on his right arm, Alcaraz unleashed his trademark forehand with familiar ferocity. The whippy stroke accounted for the majority of his 28 winners against Safiullin.
“I felt great. I don’t know how it looked from outside, but from inside, my feeling was that I was hitting normal,” Alcaraz said.
“I was playing pretty normal, playing my style, and everything felt great.”
Each of Alcaraz’s winners was met with a clenched fist and celebratory cry of “vamos” – Spanish for “let’s go” – towards his team on the side of the court.
The 23-year-old clearly enjoyed the occasion, smiling after points and, at one stage, singing along to a Michael Jackson song at the change of ends.
When he ended an intense rally with a sublime drop shot during his final service game, Alcaraz lifted his fist to the sky before pointing to his ear and waving his arms to demand more noise from the raucous crowd.
Former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash said on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra that it looked as though “every little win” was celebrated by Alcaraz.
“What I really want to do is enjoy every time that I’m going to walk into the court, feeling the energy from the people,” Alcaraz said.
“That’s what I’m going do this tournament. The results, it’s going to come after all.
“That’s why I enjoyed so much today, and it wasn’t a surprise for me, because I came here to enjoy.”