Carlos Alcaraz: Alarm bells are ringing again for Jannik Sinner’s rival ahead of the U.S. Open

Carlos Alcaraz’s appearance in the 2026 World Cup final caused quite a stir, especially because of the Spaniard’s look—he showed up with a full head of hair. The Spanish champion, a major rival of Jannik Sinner, is recovering from a right wrist injury that has sidelined him in recent months and forced him to miss Roland Garros and Wimbledon, and rumors about his return to the court change from day to day.

Alcaraz will definitely miss the Canada Open, and the plan is to return for the Cincinnati Masters 1000 to prepare for the US Open, which begins at the end of the month, but the latest reports seem to contradict the Spaniard’s plans. According to Claytenis, the former world No. 1 is reportedly still training at a low intensity: the star from Murcia and his staff are doing everything they can to avoid a relapse, and they’re exercising the utmost caution.

If necessary, Sinner’s opponent won’t even return to Cincinnati and will go straight to the US Open, where, however, his condition will need to be assessed. So far, the Spaniard hasn’t held training sessions with other professionals on the tour, nor has he played any sets or exhibition matches. He won’t rush things so as not to jeopardize the rest of the season.

Alcaraz’s road to recovery has been long and arduous. The Spaniard was sidelined in mid-April, after defeating Finland’s Virtanen in Barcelona, when inflammation in the tendons of his right wrist forced him to take a break. Since then, he has missed the Italian Open in Rome, the French Open, and the entire grass-court season, including Wimbledon. This was a devastating absence that caused him to slip to third place in the ATP rankings, with Alexander Zverev having since overtaken him to become the world No. 2.

Meanwhile, his great rival Jannik Sinner certainly didn’t stop to wait for him. The South Tyrolean won his second consecutive Wimbledon title, bringing his career Grand Slam total to five, and dominated every Masters 1000 tournament played in 2026, winning five out of five. This dominance is also reflected in his season statistics: 44 wins and just 3 losses, for a 93.6% win percentage that places him among the top 5 best seasons of the Open Era.