Carlos Alcaraz has confirmed he will return to competition at the US Open to defend his title, ending a four month absence caused by a right wrist injury that forced him to miss both the French Open and Wimbledon.
“Here We Go”
“Here we go,” Alcaraz wrote on his social media pages, sharing a picture of himself in front of the US Open logo. The seven-time Grand Slam champion has not played a competitive match since withdrawing from the Barcelona Open in mid-April, a run that also saw him pull out of tournaments in Madrid and Rome before withdrawing from Roland Garros, where he was the two-time defending champion.
Alcaraz won his second US Open title last year, beating Jannik Sinner in the final, and started this season strongly, winning the Australian Open before an early exit in Barcelona triggered the layoff. He remains ranked No. 2 in the world despite the extended absence.
Signs of Readiness
Concerns that Alcaraz might not be ready to defend his title eased somewhat after videos surfaced on social media showing him training on hard courts, including a reported practice set win over former world No. 4 Holger Rune, 7-6, 6-2. Alcaraz had been expected to return at the Cincinnati Open, the last major hard-court tuneup before the US Open, but ultimately withdrew from that tournament as well, opting to build up his match fitness in practice instead.
Alcaraz will also appear in this year’s US Open mixed doubles event, where he has been paired with 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams after the pair received a wildcard into the tournament.
A Rivalry on Hold
Alcaraz and world No. 1 Jannik Sinner have combined to win 10 of the last 11 major titles between them, and met in the finals of both the French Open and Wimbledon in 2025. Sinner has also been dealing with a knee injury that kept him out of the Cincinnati Open, though he has said he is focused on being ready for New York. According to betting markets tracked by Kalshi, Sinner currently sits as a 31 percent favourite to win the title, followed by Alcaraz at 28 percent and Alexander Zverev at 13 percent.
This year’s US Open singles champions will take home a record $5.5 million each, part of an overall prize pool of $108 million, up 20 percent from the previous year.
