Seven‑time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz is set to open his U.S. Open title defense despite a lingering wrist injury that kept him off the court for nearly five months. The 23‑year‑old Spaniard, who completed the career Grand Slam at the Australian Open, arrived in New York with limited match practice but high expectations.
Injury setbacks and mixed‑doubles return
Alcaraz missed most of the clay season, the French Open, Wimbledon and the North American hard‑court swing. He made his competitive return earlier this week in the U.S. Open mixed doubles, partnering 23‑time singles champion Serena Williams.
“Intrusive thoughts” about timing
Speaking to reporters, Alcaraz described the first month of his recovery as “difficult” because he could not use his right arm. He added that while he enjoyed time with family and friends at home, the uncertainty of when he would be ready for the Cincinnati tournament or the U.S. Open created “intrusive thoughts” that were the hardest part of his rehab.
“My goal was to be healthy as soon as possible and not miss more competitions,” Alcaraz said. “Those intrusive thoughts were the most difficult things to deal with in this process.”
U.S. Open draw and rivals
As the second seed, Alcaraz opens his campaign against Russia’s Roman Safiullin, ranked 98th worldwide. Potential quarter‑final opponents include France’s Arthur Fils or American Ben Shelton, with a possible semi‑final clash against Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, Frances Tiafoe or Brandon Nakashima.
The tournament will also be missing world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, Alcaraz’s chief rival, who withdrew due to a persistent right‑knee injury. Alcaraz expressed his well‑wishes for Sinner’s recovery, noting the two may not meet for six or seven months.
Looking ahead
With the men’s and women’s singles draws set to begin on Sunday, all eyes will be on Alcaraz to see if he can translate his talent into a third U.S. Open title despite the lingering doubts from his wrist injury.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
