In a positive development, World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz has reportedly been given the green light to resume on-court work ahead of next month’s US Open.
The Spaniard, sidelined since April with a wrist injury, raised concerns when he withdrew from the upcoming Canadian Open in Montreal, which was expected to be his tune-up in the hard-court swing leading into Flushing Meadows.
However, it now appears that he has “fully healed” from his wrist injury and is targeting a return at the Cincinnati Masters, according to La Verdad’s Francisco J. Moya.
“Carlos Alcaraz is already beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Moya reported on Tuesday. “After almost four months away from competition due to the right wrist injury he suffered during the Conde de Godó, the Murcian tennis player faces the decisive phase of his recovery with a very defined objective: to return to the courts at the Cincinnati Masters 1000, last major preparation tournament before the US Open.”
Carlos Alcaraz Return Timeline
The Cincinnati Masters, which gets underway on August 11, is the last prominent ATP event ahead of the US Open — the final major of the year. As such, it may be Alcaraz’s final chance to get some meaningful reps before his title defense at Flushing Meadows.
Moya’s report acknowledged that Alcaraz’s decision to withdraw from Montreal raised doubts about his availability for the US Open, but those fears can now be put to rest.
“The latest news invites optimism. Although Carlitos is not on the official list of the Canadian Masters 1000 — an absence that initially aroused concern among fans and specialists — the decision responds to carefully designed medical and sports planning,” wrote the veteran tennis insider. “Deadlines have never been shortened and it will not be done now, when the worst is over.”
Carlos Alcaraz Being Very Careful
The Spaniard and his team are reportedly being extra cautious due to the past precedent of wrist injuries curtailing the careers of players such as Dominic Thiem and Juan Martín del Potro. To that end, Alcaraz withdrew from the Canadian Open to avoid exerting undue pressure on his wrist injury, which he sustained in Barcelona in April.
“The decision to resign from Montreal fits perfectly within that conservative strategy,” wrote Moya, while highlighting that Alcaraz withdrew from the Madrid Open, Italian Open, French Open, Queen’s Club Championships and Wimbledon earlier in the year.
“The calendar barely left any margin between the competitive registration and the start of the Canadian tournament, so the risk of returning without sufficient pace was high,” he added. “Cincinnati, a tournament that starts on August 13 (just a month from now), offers a much more favorable scenario to measure the true condition of Alcaraz’s wrist.”
If Alcaraz is cleared to return for the US Open, he will enter as a co-favorite alongside World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, whom he defeated in last year’s final.
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