Alcaraz on late finishes, missing Sinner and return to Laver Cup

Carlos Alcaraz lost to Ben Shelton in a four-hour and 28-minute match at this year's US Open in Flushing Meadows, a contest that finished in the early hours and left the Spaniard smiling as he walked down the Arthur Ashe tunnel. He spoke to BBC Sport ahead of the Laver Cup in London about the late scheduling, season interruptions through injury and his return to team competition.

Alcaraz has won seven Grand Slam singles titles, including this year's Australian Open, and had been competing in his first tournament for more than five months after a wrist injury that left him in pain every day. He did not defend his French Open title or compete at Wimbledon and said he did not know if he would play in New York until a week before. "The quarter-final was great - it was a gift for me," Alcaraz told BBC Sport before this week's Laver Cup in London. "I suffered, but I enjoyed and that's why I smiled when I walked out of the court because I missed that feeling."

The match against Shelton was the latest finish in the tournament's history and was one of several encounters at Flushing Meadows to end in the early hours, with Alexander Zverev finishing past 1am in three of his first five matches and Venus Williams completing her first-round match at 2am. Commenting on the scheduling, Alcaraz said: "I think it's too much. "The last match people stayed but if that match was played earlier, the court could have been packed. "I would like to change the schedule a little with a maximum finish at 11pm or whatever would be better."

At 23, Alcaraz is among a number of leading players who have missed large portions of the season through injury; Britain's Jack Draper has suffered a lengthy arm injury that ended his season early, while Jannik Sinner missed the US Open with a knee injury. Alcaraz said at the US Open that he will miss some tournaments in the future to allow himself to be "mentally and physically healthy."

Alcaraz and Italy's Jannik Sinner split eight Grand Slam titles between them from 2024 and 2025, creating a rivalry that has been limited this year by injury; they have met only once, with Sinner winning their sole meeting in the Monte Carlo Masters final to become world number one. On their relationship Alcaraz said: "I have text him not too much, but a few times when he has been winning everything, mostly at the beginning of the year," Alcaraz added. "I miss him, I miss seeing him around, playing against him. He pushes me to be a better player. "People will be waiting for those matches, so I think it's going to be better."

Alcaraz will represent Team Europe at the Laver Cup at The O2 in London between 25-27 September, a team event that pits Europe, captained by Yannick Noah, against a United States team overseen by Andre Agassi. Ahead of the tournament he reflected on the team environment, saying: "When you have your team-mates, the best in the world, by your side, it's a weird feeling but it's beautiful. "We played like our lives depend on it. That's why the Laver Cup is so good to watch as well."