Carlos Alcaraz confirms he’ll return from injury at U.S. Open after prolonged absence

Carlos Alcaraz will return to competitive tennis at the U.S. Open, ending a more than four-month absence caused by a wrist injury, in a bid to defend his title in New York.

The seven-time Grand Slam champion confirmed on Thursday that he will play the Aug. 30-Sept. 13 tournament after withdrawing from the Barcelona Open in April and missing the French Open, Wimbledon and the North American hard-court events in Toronto and Cincinnati.

Alcaraz had initially targeted Cincinnati, where he won last year, for his comeback but opted to give his wrist more time to recover. He has gradually increased his workload in recent weeks and trained with Denmark’s Holger Rune in Murcia, Spain, as he tested the injury at higher intensity.

His return was also given a soccer-style announcement by transfer reporter Fabrizio Romano, who posted “Here we go!” on Instagram alongside confirmation that Alcaraz would be back at the U.S. Open.

New York holds particular significance for Alcaraz. He won his first Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows in 2022, becoming the youngest player to reach No. 1 in the ATP world rankings.