Carlos Alcaraz confirms US Open return following four-month wrist injury

Social media announcement

Carlos Alcaraz announced on 20 August 2026 that he will return to competitive tennis at the US Open in New York. The 23-year-old Spaniard revealed his decision through a joint social media post with football reporter Fabrizio Romano using the phrase "Here we go". On X, Alcaraz shared the catchphrase alongside an airplane and an American flag emoji. In an accompanying video, the Spanish player confirmed his recovery after months away from the court. The US Open main draw starts on 30 August 2026, where Alcaraz will enter as the defending men's singles champion. He could also enter the mixed doubles event during Fan Week if allocated one of three remaining wildcard spots, having played the competition last year alongside Emma Raducanu.

Wrist injury and tournament absences

Alcaraz had not played a match since 14 April 2026, when he injured his right wrist against Otto Virtanen at the Barcelona Open. The condition was diagnosed as De Quervain tenosynovitis, keeping the player out of competition for over four months. The rehabilitation process forced Alcaraz to miss two Grand Slam tournaments, Roland Garros and Wimbledon. He was also unable to compete in four ATP Masters 1000 events in Madrid, Rome, Montreal, and Cincinnati. Alcaraz had entered Cincinnati with the goal of returning there, but withdrew shortly before play began to allow more healing time. Spanish selectors also left him off the Davis Cup roster for mid-September, but medical consultations subsequently cleared him for New York.

Rankings and tournament rivals

Alcaraz opened 2026 by winning the Australian Open in January to become the youngest man to win all four Grand Slam titles, and added an ATP 500 title in Doha in February. His four-month absence resulted in Alexander Zverev taking over the world number two ranking, placing Alcaraz third, while Jannik Sinner holds the top spot. Sinner enters New York without hard-court match preparation after withdrawing from Cincinnati due to a knee ailment. The Italian underwent medical examinations at the JMedical facility in Turin before resuming light training in Monte Carlo. Zverev arrives in New York having won the French Open and finished runner-up at Wimbledon, while Sinner enters as the reigning Wimbledon champion.

Prize money and schedule in New York

The US Open scheduled from 30 August to 13 September 2026 features an overall prize purse of 108 million dollars, a 20% increase over the 2025 tournament. The men's and women's singles winners will each receive 5.5 million dollars. The runner-up will collect 2.8 million dollars, semifinalists will take 1.45 million dollars, and quarterfinalists will receive 780,000 dollars. Players who reach the singles main draw are assured 140,000 dollars. Alcaraz enters the tournament after roughly a month of regular practice but without any preparatory tournament matches on hard courts.