Carlos Alcaraz may not defend his US Open title after a wrist injury at the Barcelona Open in April has kept him out of action. Eight weeks remain until the US Open begins, and the gap between that start date and his last full competition keeps the issue in focus.
Barcelona Open to US Open
He pulled out of the French Open and Wimbledon after the injury, then missed Wimbledon as the layoff stretched on. Last year he won the US Open, so any absence this time would leave the reigning champion unable to protect that title.
Last week, video footage showed him hitting the ball gently as he made tentative steps back onto court. That was the first clear sign of movement since the injury, but it came with no sign of a full return to match intensity.
Alcaraz and the Wimbledon gap
His absence already left a hole in the Wimbledon draw, and the same problem now hangs over the final Grand Slam of the year. Alcaraz has won Wimbledon twice, which makes his missed run through the summer even more striking.
He has spoken about his return with a positive tone: “Everything happens for a reason. I believe it’s fate, and that life has something special for me when I return, something beautiful,” he said. He also pointed to the support around him: “Now I realise that what really matters, my family, who have always been there to support me; they never forced me to play tennis but always gave me the choice and that helped me continue to enjoy it and never feel stressed. They’re the reason I’m the person I’m today.”
Eight weeks to the US Open
The complication is the time left before the US Open starts. Rumours suggest he may not even attempt to come back in time, which would keep the draw without one of the sport’s biggest names and force the tournament to move on without its defending champion. For now, the only concrete movement is that gentle hitting session, and the next real marker is whether he is ready to turn that into a full return before New York opens.
