Carlos Alcaraz’s return is getting closer: his post speaks for itself, and Jannik Sinner is waiting for him
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will still not face each other at Wimbledon, due to the wrist injury that has sidelined the Spanish star for two months now. After various speculations about his health since April, however, clearer indications have emerged in the meantime that help shed light on how close the Spanish champion is to a comeback.
Credit goes to Alberto Lledó, his longtime strength and conditioning coach, who decided to accompany him on an outdoor training session that was immediately shared on social media. In the video, the two are seen running in broad daylight under a scorching sun, bare-chested. The truly significant news, which indirectly concerns Sinner as well, lies in the fact that for the first time since his injury, Alcaraz is not wearing any kind of wrist protection or brace. “The weeks are flying by! I can’t keep up with you anymore,” commented Lledó himself, confirming the champion’s renewed fitness. At least on an athletic and aerobic level.
An encouraging sign that comes after weeks of great apprehension. It all began in April, when the Spaniard was forced to withdraw from the Rome Masters 1000 and Roland Garros due to tenosynovitis in his right wrist—an inflammation of the tendon sheath. Tests had revealed a far from reassuring picture: there was a real risk that, by forcing a return, the problem could escalate into something far more serious. The team had therefore opted for a conservative approach, involving ice, immobilization with a brace, and complete rest, while monitoring the progression of the pain week by week.
Alcaraz’s absence has inevitably reshaped the rankings on the tour ahead of Wimbledon. With the Spaniard sidelined, Boris Becker has already named Alexander Zverev as the new favorite for the Championships: “Alcaraz is injured, and we don’t know what condition Sinner will be in when he returns to the court after what happened in Paris,” the German legend told Eurosport, noting that the Roland Garros champion has “the perfect serve for grass-court tennis.” This assessment also puts the Italian’s ambitions into perspective, as he exited in the second round in Paris due to illness and subsequently underwent a series of cardiac and metabolic tests at San Raffaele Hospital in Milan, which reportedly revealed no significant physical issues.
Rafa Nadal countered the rumors, speaking about his compatriot with disarming confidence on the sidelines of a charity golf tournament in Mallorca: “I’m certain Carlos will make a full recovery from his injury; he’s too strong not to. Even now, despite being very young, he’s one of the best players in tennis history.” These words carry double weight, considering that Nadal himself faced a similar issue a few years ago, sitting out for about two months before returning to the court.
In the meantime, while we wait to see if and when Alcaraz will be able to step back onto a court in an official match, the world rankings clearly show the lead Sinner has built: 13,500 points compared to the Spaniard’s 9,960, who remains in second place. A lead that the world number one has built in part thanks to the five consecutive Masters 1000 titles he won in the first half of 2026, and which he now aims to consolidate at Wimbledon, where he will defend the title he won in 2025. The great rivalry between the two is set to reignite, but we’ll have to wait a little longer to finally see them face off again.
