Carlos Alcaraz to Return at US Open After Four Months Out With Wrist Injury

NEW YORK —

Carlos Alcaraz is coming back. The defending champion at the US Open confirmed on Thursday that he will play this year's tournament, ending an absence of more than four months caused by a right wrist injury, according to Yahoo Sports and BBC Sport.

The 23-year-old Spaniard, a seven-time Grand Slam champion, has not played a competitive match since April 14, when he hurt his wrist during the Barcelona Open, BBC Sport reported. He withdrew from that tournament and then missed the French Open, Wimbledon, and the North American hard-court tournaments in Toronto and Cincinnati, according to Channel NewsAsia.

Alcaraz announced the news in an Instagram post made jointly with Fabrizio Romano, a sports commentator known for breaking soccer transfer news, Sky Sports reported. In the video, Alcaraz said "Here we go" in Spanish and English, echoing Romano's signature phrase. Romano wrote in the caption that Alcaraz "will return to the tour at the US Open after spending four months sidelined with a right wrist injury" and is "ready to come back," according to Yahoo Sports.

A cautious road back

Alcaraz originally hoped to make his comeback at the Cincinnati Open, a tournament he won last year, but pulled out on August 5 to give the wrist more time to heal, Channel NewsAsia reported. He has since trained in Murcia, Spain, wearing a sleeve on his forearm, and has been practicing at higher intensity with Denmark's Holger Rune, who is himself returning from a ruptured Achilles tendon, according to BBC Sport.

The absence has cost Alcaraz ground in the rankings. BBC Sport reported that he was overtaken at number two by Germany's Alexander Zverev after being unable to defend his Cincinnati title, while Italy's Jannik Sinner holds a wide lead at number one after winning Wimbledon in July. Sinner has also gone into the US Open without match play on a hard court this season, after withdrawing from Cincinnati with a knee injury, BBC Sport reported.

What is at stake in New York

Flushing Meadows carries special meaning for Alcaraz. He won his first Grand Slam title there in 2022 at age 19, becoming the youngest men's major champion in 17 years, and beat Sinner in last year's final to defend the title, according to BBC Sport. The 2026 US Open singles competition begins August 30 and runs through September 13, with a total prize fund of $108 million, a 20 percent increase from last year, according to Yahoo Sports. Alcaraz may also enter the mixed doubles event the week before the main draw, BBC Sport reported.