Carlos Alcaraz's US Open title defence is in serious doubt following his withdrawal from the Cincinnati Open. The world No. 2 has been sidelined by a wrist injury since April and has already missed the French Open and Wimbledon.
Alcaraz recently returned to intense training and was expected to make his comeback in Cincinnati next week, where he is the defending champion. But on Tuesday organisers confirmed that the 23-year-old had pulled out of the tournament.
Official statement
“Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from the Cincinnati Open. Wishing all the best to our 2025 champion in his recovery process. Can’t wait to welcome you next year!” they wrote in a statement on social media.
While Alcaraz has yet to withdraw from the US Open, which begins on August 30, it seems unlikely that he will immediately return to competition in a best-of-five set format, which will be more demanding on his body after spending four months on the sidelines. Such an increased load so soon into his comeback could lead to further physical issues.
Injury timeline
The world No. 2 has not played a match since the Barcelona Open in April, when he appeared to pick up the wrist injury during his opening match against Otto Virtanen. Alcaraz played on and won but pulled out of the tournament the following day.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion initially wore an immobilisation cast on his wrist and has continued to up the intensity of his training sessions since returning to the practice court. According to Marca, he completed an indoor training session on June 29, and has since been hitting at his local club in Murcia.
Possible return
It was hoped that Alcaraz would begin his comeback in Cincinnati, to get some matches under his belt in a shorter, best-of-three set format ahead of the US Open. The 23-year-old could still enter one final tournament ahead of the last Grand Slam of the season, as the ATP 250 event in Winston-Salem takes place the week before the US Open.
But Alcaraz will have to weigh up whether he wants to play so soon before a Major tournament, and risk the increased load of up to three consecutive weeks of competition.
Ranking points at stake
The Spaniard is already set to lose 1,000 ranking points as he is unable to defend his Cincinnati Open title. Should he skip the US Open, Alcaraz will drop another 2,000 points.
The former world No. 1 has also signed up to represent Team Europe at the Laver Cup in London’s O2 Arena at the end of September. It could be a fitting place to test out his wrist.
The stakes are lower at the team event, which is still seen as something of an exhibition even though it is now recognised by the ATP. Alcaraz also wouldn’t have to exert himself, as 10-point tiebreaks are played in place of third sets. He could also be replaced by an alternate if he feels he is not ready to compete.
But there is still some hope that Alcaraz could return in Flushing Meadows. He has already been back on the practice court after pulling out of the Cincinnati Open, sharing a snap of himself with his team on Wednesday.
