Carlos Alcaraz prepares for US Open title defence following wrist injury layoff

Return after wrist recovery

Carlos Alcaraz will begin his title defence at the US Open on Sunday, playing his first competitive singles match in over four months. The 23-year-old Spaniard has been sidelined from singles competition since 16 April 2026, when he sustained a right wrist injury at the Barcelona Open following his appearance in the Monte-Carlo final. The physical setback halted an opening stretch of the year in which Alcaraz won the Australian Open in January to become the youngest man in tennis history to complete the career Grand Slam. Because of the wrist damage, he was unable to use his right arm for the first month of recovery and had to miss both the French Open and Wimbledon. Alcaraz resumed hitting just over four weeks ago and conducted intensive training blocks in his native Murcia alongside Denmark's Holger Rune. Speaking at a pre-tournament news conference on Friday, Alcaraz identified psychological doubt during recovery as his primary hurdle.

So I would say that intrusive thoughts were the most difficult things to deal with in this process.

Schedule and tournament draw

The US Open takes place at Flushing Meadows in New York from Sunday through the tournament finals on 13 September 2026. Alcaraz enters the singles draw as the second seed behind Germany's Alexander Zverev, who took the top seed after winning Roland Garros in June. Alcaraz begins his campaign in the first round against Roman Safiullin of Russia in a best-of-five set format. His section of the bracket includes potential quarter-final matchups against Montreal Masters champion Ben Shelton or Cincinnati Masters winner Arthur Fils, alongside a possible semi-final against Novak Djokovic.

Sinner absence and calendar strains

The men's draw will proceed without world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who announced his withdrawal from the US Open because of a right knee injury. In 2025, Alcaraz and Sinner divided all four Grand Slam trophies evenly between them and contested finals at Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open. Sinner's absence ensures the pair will finish 2026 without playing each other at a Grand Slam event, having last competed against one another at Monte-Carlo in April. Alcaraz stated that the volume of physical issues among top players points directly to the demands of the modern tennis schedule.

We are not gonna see each other for, like, six months now, seven months. So it's kind of weird situation, to be honest.

Match sharpness and fitness test

Alcaraz tested his condition earlier in the week by entering the mixed doubles competition at Flushing Meadows alongside Serena Williams. The pair won their opening round match before suffering a second-round defeat against Switzerland's Belinda Bencic and Italy's Flavio Cobolli on Arthur Ashe Stadium. Observers noted that Alcaraz played with caution on his serve, keeping deliveries below 185 km/h as he managed his right wrist. Alcaraz confirmed that he did not alter his technical mechanics during recovery to avoid changing his identity as a player, relying instead on the advice of his medical and coaching team.

I gotta trust my people that tell me that it's gonna be fine. So I just have to go 100 percent.