Carlos Alcaraz has expressed regret over the absence of rival Jannik Sinner as the Spaniard returns at the US Open following a four-month injury layoff.
Alcaraz, who has not played since suffering a right wrist injury four and a half months ago, enters the tournament as the defending champion. Meanwhile, world number one Sinner was forced to withdraw from the competition due to a knee problem that has kept him out of action since Wimbledon.
Alcaraz said it was a shame for everyone that Sinner would miss a major tournament, noting that it felt unusual for them not to see each other for six months. The Spaniard wished his rival a quick recovery and expressed confidence that Sinner would return to the court in top form soon, observing that the high number of recent player injuries highlighted the crowded nature of the tour calendar.
Reflecting on his extended period away from tennis, Alcaraz said his primary goal had been to regain his health as quickly as possible and avoid missing further competitions. He added that managing intrusive thoughts during his recovery had proven to be the most difficult part of the entire process.
Sinner recovery and tournament schedule
Sinner did not play during August and currently has no set date for his return to competitive action. Following the conclusion of the US Open on September 13, top players face a brief break before the hard-court season continues in early October with the ATP 500 tournaments in Beijing and Tokyo.
The US Open, held annually at Flushing Meadows in New York, is the fourth and final Grand Slam tournament of the tennis season. Alcaraz and Sinner have dominated the sport in recent years, sharing all eight Grand Slam titles across the 2024 and 2025 seasons between them. In 2026, Alcaraz won the Australian Open in Melbourne, becoming the youngest player in history to complete the career Grand Slam by winning all four major titles. He followed that achievement by winning in Doha before suffering his wrist injury.
The two players have coincided in only five tournaments during the 2026 season. Sinner secured hard-court victories at Indian Wells and Miami before defeating Alcaraz at Monte Carlo in their only head-to-head match of the year, a win that restored the Italian to world number one. Sinner subsequently claimed his second consecutive Wimbledon crown, while German contender Alexander Zverev won Roland Garros to halt the nine-tournament Grand Slam winning streak held by Alcaraz and Sinner.
Rivals assess Alcaraz as tournament favorite
Despite his four-and-a-half-month absence from the tour, several leading players still view Alcaraz as the key contender in New York. American player Taylor Fritz said Alcaraz would prove extremely dangerous if he managed to advance through the opening rounds of the tournament.
Russian player Daniil Medvedev expressed delight at seeing Alcaraz back on court while noting the physical uncertainty surrounding his return. Medvedev said it would be interesting to see how Alcaraz copes with a grueling match, adding that the Spaniard could withdraw at any time if he experiences pain.
German player Alexander Zverev, who enters the US Open as the top seed by ranking, suggested Alcaraz might lack match rhythm in his first or second match. Zverev added that once Alcaraz overcomes those initial hurdles, he will undoubtedly stand as one of the primary candidates for the title.
