Carlos Alcaraz: Concerning reports from Spain about Sinner’s rival
Rumors from Spain are growing increasingly persistent that Carlos Alcaraz may also withdraw from the U.S. Open. His right wrist still isn’t providing the necessary assurance, and the risk of rushing his return could be far more serious than missing a major tournament. Alcaraz, who has just lost his No. 2 ranking in the ATP to Alexander Zverev, hasn’t played an official match since April 14, when he faced Virtanen in the first round of the Barcelona tournament. On that occasion, while executing a backhand on the fly with an unnatural motion, he felt a sharp pain in the area above his hand.
Over the past ten days, Alcaraz has shared several clips of his training sessions in Murcia on social media. The images show him smiling, seemingly at ease, and able to hit the ball with good intensity. This is an encouraging sign, but not yet enough to suggest an immediate return to competition. The work done in training serves primarily to assess how his wrist is responding and rules out, at least for now, the most serious scenario: surgery with an unpredictable recovery time.
Training, however, is one thing. Competing in a Grand Slam tournament is another. In New York, the conditions are particularly demanding: heat, humidity, a very hard surface, and, above all, the need to play seven best-of-five-set matches against opponents who arrive at the tournament in peak condition. This is a completely different level of physical strain compared to a few rallies in practice with a sparring partner.
In this sense, Carlitos’s journey bears several similarities to the path Jannik Sinner has followed in recent weeks. The world No. 1, too, has opted for caution following the right knee issue he suffered after winning the Wimbledon final. After what happened at Roland Garros—when an illness affected his performance and led to a second-round loss—managing his physical condition has become a top priority.
Sinner has completed his treatment at JMedical in Turin and is now preparing to return to the United States. After spending a few days with his family for his 25th birthday, he plans to depart for New York, where he’ll have about a dozen days to train and regain his rhythm and confidence before the start of the U.S. Open, scheduled for August 30.
Alcaraz, on the other hand, still finds himself at a crossroads. On one hand, there is the temptation to defend his title and finally return to the biggest stage. On the other is the need to listen to his body. For a champion who has already proven he can dominate the world of tennis, the hardest choice might actually be to wait. Because missing a Grand Slam hurts. Losing months—or jeopardizing a career—would be much worse.
