Carlos Alcaraz Set to Defend US Open Title After Wrist Layoff

Carlos Alcaraz says he is ready to return from a right wrist injury and defend his US Open title, ending an absence that has kept the world No. 2 out of competition since April.

“Here we go,” Alcaraz wrote on social media Thursday, posting a photograph of himself in front of the US Open logo. The message signals his intention to return at the season’s final Grand Slam after a lengthy spell away from the court.

The seven-time Grand Slam champion has not played since his opening match at the Barcelona Open. He withdrew from that tournament because of the right wrist problem, an injury that subsequently ruled him out of both the French Open and Wimbledon.

Alcaraz’s return is significant because he arrives in New York as the defending champion. He won his second US Open title last year by beating Jannik Sinner in the final, and he is still ranked No. 2 despite missing much of the season.

Alcaraz returns after months away

Before his injury interruption, Alcaraz had made a strong start to the year. After winning the US Open last season, he went on to claim the Australian Open and then won his next tournament. Those results formed part of a 22-3 start to the campaign.

His momentum was halted in Barcelona. Alcaraz won his first match at the event but then withdrew, beginning an extended period on the sidelines. The absence removed him from two of tennis’ biggest tournaments, the French Open and Wimbledon, while leaving uncertainty over when he would be able to resume competition.

Recent social-media images and videos had shown Alcaraz back on the practice court, suggesting that a return during the hard-court swing before the US Open was possible. However, he later withdrew from the Cincinnati Open, which is ongoing.

That withdrawal prompted questions over whether Alcaraz would attempt to return directly at a Grand Slam without playing a hard-court tournament beforehand. His social-media post now makes clear that he plans to compete at the US Open, where he first became a Grand Slam champion in 2022.

That 2022 victory also made Alcaraz, then 19, the youngest man to hold the No. 1 position in the ATP rankings. He has since added another US Open title and remains one of the central figures in the men’s game heading into New York.

Injuries add uncertainty to New York major

Alcaraz is not the only leading player whose fitness has become a major storyline ahead of the tournament. Sinner, the top-ranked player, has also been out of action since winning the Wimbledon title.

Sinner pulled out of Cincinnati with a right knee injury and said he would focus on being ready to play in New York. His status, alongside Alcaraz’s return from the wrist issue, adds another layer of uncertainty to the final Grand Slam of the year.

The pair had dominated much of the major-tournament conversation in 2025. They met in the final at both the French Open and Wimbledon and were widely expected to face each other again in the US Open final. Alcaraz ultimately defeated Sinner in last year’s New York championship match.

With Alcaraz now set to defend his title and Sinner targeting a return of his own, the US Open will begin with two of the sport’s biggest names seeking to resume after injury-related absences. For Alcaraz, the immediate objective is clear: return to the event where he is the reigning champion and attempt to protect his crown.