US Open: Carlos Alcaraz is ready to be Carlitos again as he looks to defend his title

Carlos Alcaraz is back at the US Open after more than four months on the sidelines and the Spaniard has made it clear that he is not going to take it easy on his path to defending his Grand Slam title.

A right wrist injury ruled Alcaraz out of the French Open and Wimbledon after being forced out of competitive tennis in mid-April. Now, as he prepares to return to singles in New York, the 23-year-old is confident fans will see the same player who has collected seven Grand Slam titles.

“You’re going to see Carlitos play the way he’s always played,” Alcaraz said.

Alcaraz will play her first competitive singles match since her injury on Monday. Despite the long layoff, he says he hasn’t changed his game mechanics and believes he’s physically ready to compete at the highest level.

“I need competition,” Alcaraz said Friday. “We, my team and I believe I’m ready. It wasn’t an easy decision. I did what it took to be ready.”

The defending champion arrives in New York with already high expectations. Alcaraz beat Jannik Sinner in last year’s US Open final and subsequently moved above the Italian to become world number one.

However, Sinner will be absent this time after withdrawing from the tournament due to a right knee injury. Alcaraz admitted that facing the US Open without his biggest rival was unusual.

“We won’t see each other for six months, seven months,” Alcaraz said. “It’s a bit of an odd situation to be honest.

Without Sinner, Alexander Zverev moved into the top seed position. Still, the spotlight remains on Alcaraz, who has already enjoyed a season to remember. Earlier this year, he won his seventh Grand Slam crown at the Australian Open after defeating Novak Djokovic in the final.

American Frances Tiafoe, the 11th seed, believes Alcaraz’s comeback will be one of the highlights of the tournament.

“Everybody’s going to be pretty impressed to see his first match,” Tiafoe said. “If he gets back anywhere close to his level, it’s tough. Regardless, even if he’s not in top form, you still have to beat him in five sets.”

Alcaraz begins his title defense against Roman Safiullin and will immediately face the challenge of best-of-five tennis. Unlike a typical Grand Slam line-up, he did not have much opportunity to test himself in competitive singles before the tournament.

However, he got some court time in New York when he teamed up with Serena Williams in the mixed doubles this week, giving him a chance to get used to match conditions.

Nevertheless, Alcaraz knows that returning directly to the Grand Slam after such a long break is far from ideal.

“It’s really challenging,” he said. “Probably not the best time in terms of preparation and everything.

Despite the difficulties, the prospect of returning to Flushing Meadows was enough to convince him that the US Open was the right place to return.

“There is no better tournament than the US Open,” Alcaraz said.

The Spaniard is aware that a return after a long injury absence and an immediate victory at the Grand Slam is possible. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have already succeeded, but Alcaraz does not want to burden himself with similar expectations.

Rather than setting a specific goal for the tournament, he wants to focus on how his body reacts and take each match as it comes.

“I’m not going to set a limit,” Alcaraz said in Spanish. “I don’t want to focus on a specific outcome. I want to focus on the process that we went through. Just go out there, enjoy yourself and feel good.”

Zverev, who suffered a serious right ankle injury four years ago, understands the challenges of coming back from a major setback. However, he was cautious about drawing direct comparisons between his injury and Alcaraz’s wrist problem.

“The wrist is never easy,” Zverev said. “I expect him to be maybe a little rusty in the first game or two, but once he gets over that, I think he’ll definitely be a contender here.

But for Alcaraz, the challenge isn’t just physical. His time away from tennis also brought a mental battle, with the Spaniard admitting that he had to deal with intrusive thoughts about the injury.

As Alcaraz prepares to compete again, he tries to prevent those concerns from affecting his game. His priority is to stay healthy, trust his preparation and allow himself to play freely.

“I have to go 100%,” Alcaraz said. “I have to trust my team. I have to trust my people who are telling me it’s going to be OK.”

After four months, Alcaraz now has a chance to rediscover his rhythm on the biggest stage. The US Open title defense begins on Monday and the tennis world will be watching closely to see if ‘Carlitos’ can quickly return to his Grand Slam best.

– The end

Issued by:

Saurabh Kumar

Published on:

August 29, 2026 12:19 PM IST