Carlos Alcaraz has fully recovered from his wrist injury, hope for a return to the US Open has dawned

Carlos Alcaraz’s long-awaited return to competitive tennis appears closer after encouraging reports from Spain suggested the 23-year-old has fully recovered from a wrist injury that sidelined him for almost four months. According to La Verdad newspaper, the Spaniard’s medical team are happy with his progress, raising hopes he could return in time for the US Open at the end of the summer.

Alcaraz has not played a competitive match since suffering a right wrist injury during the Barcelona Open in April. The setback forced him to withdraw from a number of major tournaments, including Madrid, Rome, Roland Garros and Wimbledon, severely derailing a season that had started in spectacular style. At the beginning of the year, the Spaniard won his first title at the Australian Open, completing the career Grand Slam at the age of 23.

Concerns about his fitness resurfaced after his name was omitted from the entry list for the Canadian Open in Montreal. However, Spanish media reports insisted the decision was part of a carefully managed recovery program and not a sign of any new complications. Alcaraz himself recently shared videos of his training sessionsto assure fans that his comeback remains “on track”.

CINCINNATI COMES OUT AS A DRAFT RETURN TARGET

The most significant update came after Alcaraz underwent another evaluation by renowned sports doctor Angelo Ruiz-Cotorro. La Verdad said the doctor was satisfied with the player’s recovery and is expected to give him a medical certificate soon. The report added that Alcaraz’s wrist is now “healthy” and “fully healed” with his team gradually increasing the intensity of his training sessions.

With Montreal now out of the picture, all signs point to the Cincinnati Masters as the tournament where Alcaraz could make his long-awaited comeback. His camp is said to be prioritizing the ATP Masters 1000 in Ohio, which starts in mid-August, to ensure he arrives at the final Grand Slam of the season in top form.

The timing is especially important because Alcaraz heads to Cincinnati as the defending champion, having lifted the trophy there last year. A successful return would not only give him valuable match practice ahead of Flushing Meadows, but also allow him to defend key ranking points.

For the time being, the uncertainty surrounding the Spaniard’s revival has been replaced by optimism. If his rehab continues on its current trajectory, tennis fans may not have to wait much longer to see one of the sport’s biggest stars back on the court, with Cincinnati serving as the final stepping stone to a highly anticipated return to the US Open.

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Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

15 Jul 2026 16:52 IST