-
Defending US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz is set to return to competitive tennis at the 2026 US Open.
-
The 23-year-old Spaniard has been sidelined for four months with a right wrist injury.
-
Alcaraz has not played a competitive match since April and missed the majority of the clay season and the entire grass-court swing.
-
He could also feature in the mixed doubles event before beginning his US Open title defence.
August 20, (THEWILL) — Defending champion, Carlos Alcaraz, is set to make his long-awaited return to competitive tennis at the 2026 US Open after spending four months on the sidelines with a wrist injury.
The 23-year-old Spaniard has not played a competitive match since 14 April, when he suffered an injury to his right wrist during the Barcelona Open.
His return is a major boost for the US Open, where Alcaraz will attempt to defend the title he won last year after defeating Jannik Sinner in four sets.
The Spaniard’s participation was confirmed through a joint social media post with football transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano. Alcaraz also used Romano’s famous “here we go!” phrase while adding an American flag and plane emoji to his post.
The announcement ends months of uncertainty surrounding his fitness ahead of the final Grand Slam of the season.
Alcaraz’s injury disrupted his season
Alcaraz made an impressive start to 2026 before his wrist problem interrupted his campaign.
He won the Australian Open in January by defeating Novak Djokovic in four sets, becoming the youngest man in the Open era to complete a career Grand Slam.
He followed that success by winning the Qatar Open in February before reaching the semi-finals at Indian Wells and the third round in Miami.
However, his season changed dramatically in April.
After losing to Sinner in the Monte Carlo Masters final, Alcaraz travelled to Barcelona but managed only one match before suffering the wrist injury.
The problem forced him to miss most of the clay-court season and the entire grass-court campaign.
Alcaraz eventually returned to training in July, although his comeback was handled cautiously.
He was seen practising in Spain on 4 August but withdrew from the Cincinnati Open the following day.
The Spaniard has since continued working on his fitness and tennis, including sessions with close friend Holger Rune.
A cautious return before New York
Wrist injuries can be particularly difficult for tennis players because of the demands placed on the joint during serving and groundstrokes.
Alcaraz previously indicated that he did not want to risk making the problem worse by returning before he was fully ready.
His cautious approach is understandable given the history of wrist problems affecting other top players.
Former US Open champion Dominic Thiem’s career was significantly affected by a wrist injury before he retired in 2024, while Juan Martin del Potro also battled recurring wrist problems after winning the US Open in 2009.
For Alcaraz, the priority will now be getting enough competitive preparation without putting his long-term fitness at risk.
Alcaraz could play mixed doubles
As well as defending his singles crown, Alcaraz could potentially compete in the mixed doubles event being staged during the week before the main US Open tournament.
Three wildcards are still available.
Alcaraz played the revamped mixed doubles competition last year alongside Britain’s Emma Raducanu, although Raducanu will miss this year’s tournament because of injury.
A mixed doubles appearance could provide Alcaraz with valuable match practice before beginning his singles title defence.
READ ALSO:
Sinner remains the biggest threat
Alcaraz’s return adds another layer to an increasingly intriguing men’s tournament.
His biggest rival, Jannik Sinner, remains at the top of the world rankings and has enjoyed an outstanding season.
Sinner has lost only three matches in 2026 and dominated the tour while Alcaraz was recovering from injury.
He won Wimbledon in July and also completed the Sunshine Double by winning Indian Wells and the Miami Open without dropping a set.
However, Sinner has his own fitness concern heading into New York.
The Italian withdrew from the Cincinnati Open because of a knee injury, meaning he will arrive at the US Open without competitive hard-court match practice, just as he did before Wimbledon.
Alexander Zverev has moved ahead of Alcaraz into second place in the world rankings after the Spaniard was unable to defend his Cincinnati title.
Alcaraz chasing another US Open title
Alcaraz already has a special relationship with the US Open.
He won his first Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows in 2022 at just 19 years old, defeating Casper Ruud in the final to become the youngest men’s major champion in 17 years.
He returned to the top of the podium last year, defeating Sinner in four sets to claim another US Open crown.
Now, after four months away from competitive tennis, Alcaraz will return to the same stage with another opportunity to prove he remains one of the dominant forces in men’s tennis.
Olumide Atiba is a sports journalist with THEWILL, known for his keen news sense and compelling storytelling. He has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, well-structured reports that resonate with readers, with a strong focus on football coverage
