Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz has confirmed he will compete at the US Open in New York, returning to tournament play after four months sidelined by a right wrist injury.
The 23-year-old world number three announced his return on social media on Thursday, posting a message with the tournament logo in the background indicating he was ready to head to the event. The final Grand Slam of the season is scheduled to take place in New York from August 30 to September 13.
Alcaraz, a two-time champion at Flushing Meadows, enters the tournament as the defending champion. His participation comes after four months of recovery following a right wrist injury sustained at the Barcelona Open in April.
The four-month layoff marks the longest absence of his career. A former world number one and the youngest player to reach the top ranking in tennis history, Alcaraz has won 26 career titles, including seven Grand Slam championships.
Four-month absence following Barcelona injury
Alcaraz has not played a competitive match since April 14, when he defeated Otto Virtanen in his opening match in Barcelona. The injury to his right wrist proved more severe than expected, forcing him to withdraw from the remainder of the clay-court season and the entire grass-court swing.
Concerns over his fitness grew in recent weeks after he pulled out of the hard-court Masters events in Montreal and Cincinnati. Prior to his injury, Alcaraz started 2026 by winning the Australian Open in Melbourne and claiming the title at the ATP tournament in Doha.
Preparations and practice in Murcia
In the days leading up to his decision, Alcaraz returned to the practice court in Murcia to test his recovery. He shared court time during high-intensity training sessions with Danish player Holger Rune, allowing him to evaluate his wrist against top-level competition before making his final decision on travelling to New York.
Footage from the Murcia training sessions showed Alcaraz moving with intensity across the court while gradually increasing the power of his groundstrokes and serves.
History at Flushing Meadows and rivalry with Jannik Sinner
The announcement came ten days before the start of the tournament in New York, delivering welcome news to tennis fans and fellow competitors. World number one Jannik Sinner also missed the recent tournaments in Canada and Cincinnati, and had previously expressed regret over Alcaraz's absence from the tour.
Flushing Meadows holds major significance for Alcaraz. He captured his maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open in 2022, securing the world number one ranking for the first time. Last year, he reclaimed both the US Open title and the top ranking by defeating Sinner in the final.
With both players set to return for the final Grand Slam of the year, their rivalry is set to resume on the hard courts of New York.
