Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz has confirmed he will return to competitive tennis at the US Open after spending more than four months sidelined by a wrist injury.
The 23-year-old Spaniard has not played on the ATP Tour since April after suffering an injury to his right wrist at the Barcelona Open.
Alcaraz subsequently missed the French Open, Wimbledon and the build-up to the North American hard-court season as he and his team took a cautious approach to his recovery.
However, the seven-time Grand Slam champion has now declared himself ready to return at Flushing Meadows, where he will attempt to defend the title he won last year.
Alcaraz announces comeback with Fabrizio Romano
Alcaraz confirmed his comeback in unusual fashion, teaming up with football transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano for a joint Instagram announcement.
Romano’s famous “Here we go!” catchphrase was used to announce that the Spaniard would be making his long-awaited return in New York.
Alcaraz joined in with the joke, posting “here we go!” alongside an American flag and plane emoji on X.
It ends months of uncertainty over whether one of the biggest names in men’s tennis would recover in time for the final Grand Slam of the season.
Four months on the sidelines
Alcaraz’s last competitive appearance came in Barcelona in April, with the wrist problem forcing him into the longest injury absence of his career.
The timing could hardly have been worse.
Alcaraz had started 2026 superbly, winning the Australian Open in January and becoming the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam.
He followed that success by winning the Qatar Open in February before reaching the semi-finals at Indian Wells.
Alcaraz also reached the Monte Carlo Masters final, where he was beaten by Jannik Sinner, before his season was brought to an abrupt halt in Barcelona.
His absence meant he missed almost the entire European clay-court season as well as Wimbledon and the summer grass-court campaign.
A cautious recovery
There had initially been hopes that Alcaraz could return before the US Open.
He gradually resumed training during the summer and was entered for the Cincinnati Open, but eventually withdrew as his team decided against rushing his recovery.
The Spaniard has since increased the intensity of his practice sessions in Murcia and has recently been training alongside Denmark’s Holger Rune.
Alcaraz has continued to wear a sleeve on his right arm during practice, but his decision to compete in New York suggests he is satisfied that the wrist is ready to withstand Grand Slam tennis.
His lack of competitive match practice remains a major question.
Alcaraz will arrive at the US Open without playing a warm-up tournament and could potentially be asked to win seven best-of-five-set matches immediately after a four-month absence.
US Open holds special memories
If there is anywhere Alcaraz would want to launch his comeback, it is Flushing Meadows.
The Spaniard won his first Grand Slam title at the US Open in 2022 when, aged just 19, he defeated Casper Ruud in the final.
That victory also helped propel him to world number one.
He returned to the top of the podium in New York last year, defeating great rival Sinner in four sets to claim his second US Open crown.
Alcaraz will therefore arrive in New York as defending champion, although the landscape at the top of men’s tennis has changed significantly during his absence.
Sinner takes control in Alcaraz’s absence
Jannik Sinner has taken advantage of Alcaraz’s lengthy spell on the sidelines and will head into the US Open as the man to beat if his fitness allows.
The Italian has dominated much of the season and won Wimbledon in July, while Alexander Zverev has also moved ahead of Alcaraz in the rankings following the Spaniard’s inability to defend his Cincinnati title.
Sinner’s own preparations have not been ideal, however.
The world number one withdrew from Cincinnati because of a knee problem, meaning he too will arrive at Flushing Meadows without competitive hard-court preparation.
That could add another fascinating dimension to a US Open that suddenly looks far less predictable than it might have done earlier in the summer.
Can Alcaraz defend his crown?
Alcaraz’s return is a major boost for the tournament, but expectations will have to be tempered after such a lengthy absence.
Wrist injuries can be particularly troublesome for tennis players and Alcaraz’s team have clearly been unwilling to gamble with the long-term fitness of one of the sport’s biggest stars.
His movement and physical conditioning may return relatively quickly, but the real test will be how the wrist responds to repeated serving and powerful forehands across potentially long five-set matches.
There is also the issue of match sharpness. Training with players such as Rune can replicate some aspects of competition, but it cannot completely reproduce the pressure and intensity of Grand Slam tennis.
Yet Alcaraz has already shown throughout his young career that conventional expectations do not always apply to him.
He has won seven Grand Slam titles before his 24th birthday and completed the career Grand Slam at an age when most players are still attempting to establish themselves among the elite.
Now comes another challenge.
Four months after his season appeared to have been thrown into uncertainty by injury, Carlos Alcaraz is heading back to New York.
And the defending champion will not be travelling simply to make up the numbers.
The US Open men’s singles tournament begins on Sunday, 30 August.
