Carlos Alcaraz has been training in Murcia alongside Holger Rune over the weekend, but his participation in the US Open, which begins on August 30, remains uncertain. The world No. 2 has not played a single competitive match since retiring from the Barcelona Open in April with a right wrist injury.
Four months without competition
The list of withdrawals has grown steadily since the spring: Madrid, Rome, Roland-Garros, Queen's, Wimbledon, Montreal, Cincinnati. The 23-year-old Spaniard, a seven-time Grand Slam champion, has not played a single match on hard courts this season. His last competitive appearance dates back more than four months, an unprecedented absence in his young career.
Mixed signals on his fitness
Footage from his practice sessions with Rune, who is himself working his way back from a ruptured Achilles tendon, shows an Alcaraz who appears mobile and aggressive from the baseline. His team is reportedly confident about a timely return. But experts are less optimistic. Former US Open finalist Greg Rusedski warned against a premature comeback, arguing that this type of wrist injury "has shortened careers" in the past. Injury specialist Stephen Smith was even more blunt, saying he would be "shocked" if Alcaraz played at Flushing Meadows.
A decision expected within days
Time is running out. The US Open starts in twelve days and Alcaraz has not played a single hard-court warm-up match. Returning directly at a Grand Slam in best-of-five-set format after four months of inactivity would represent a significant physical gamble. The Alcaraz camp is expected to announce a decision in the coming days. The defending champion faces a stark dilemma: defend his crown in New York at the risk of aggravating the injury, or withdraw and target a fully fit return later in the season.
By the numbers
Alcaraz still holds the world No. 2 ranking with seven Grand Slam titles at the age of 23. His 2026 season, cut short since April, reads 19 wins and 3 losses before the layoff. Jannik Sinner, the world No. 1 who also withdrew from Montreal and Cincinnati with a knee injury, could likewise arrive diminished in New York. (Sources: ATP Tour, Tennis Temple, Tennis Tonic, Sunday Guardian Live)
