Seven-time major champion Carlos Alcaraz planned to use the Cincinnati Open as a tune-up for his US Open title defense. Instead, the Spaniard may arrive at Flushing Meadows without a competitive match under his belt since April.
In a frustrating setback, Alcaraz has withdrawn from the ATP-1000 event in Ohio, which was intended to mark his return from a severe wrist injury.
Barring an unlikely entry at the ATP-250 event in Winston-Salem, the World No. 2 will head to New York on a match drought dating back to April 14 at the Barcelona Open.
That is, of course, if Alcaraz is even cleared for the US Open. Some analysts view his withdrawal from Cincinnati as a major red flag in his injury recovery—one that could force him to shut down for the rest of the season.
Carlos Alcaraz Injury: A Worrying Sign?
Several prominent voices in the tennis world were shocked by Tuesday’s news.
“Now that’s surprising,” wrote José Morgado.
Tennis One’s Vansh remains hopeful that Alcaraz’s withdrawal from Cincinnati is simply a precautionary move to avoid rushing his return from injury.
“Let’s hope this is purely just because he’s just started hitting with intensity (and recovery progressing well) and Cincinnati would be too soon, and not because while he was training he suffered another setback,” he wrote on X. “This does mean US Open looks very much in doubt either way though.”
Carlos Alcaraz Remains Out of Action
Alcaraz was also expected to play the ongoing Canadian Open, but journalists close to his camp quickly dismissed concerns over his withdrawal. Notably, La Verdad‘s Francisco J. Moya reported last month that Alcaraz was “100 percent again” and had been cleared by his medical team to resume full tennis activities.
“Carlos Alcaraz is already beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Moya wrote. “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.”
The Spanish reporter added that Alcaraz’s team viewed Cincinnati, scheduled just weeks before the US Open, as a more suitable venue for his return than Montreal.
“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.”
By pulling out of Cincinnati, Alcaraz adds to a mounting list of missed events, including the Madrid Open, Italian Open, French Open, Queen’s Club Championships, Wimbledon and the Canadian Open, marking the longest injury absence of his career.
Several former players have urged the 23-year-old Alcaraz not to rush his return, highlighting that significant wrist injuries previously derailed the careers of major winners like Dominic Thiem and Juan Martín del Potro.
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