Alcaraz sidelined 114 days by wrist tenosynovitis ahead of US Open

Carlos Alcaraz walked off the court at Rod Laver Arena in January after completing the Australian Open and has not played a competitive match since 14 April, leaving him sidelined for 114 days with a wrist problem. He has withdrawn from the Cincinnati Open and faces uncertainty over defending his US Open title less than a month away.

At 22, Alcaraz had just completed a career Grand Slam by beating Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final to claim his seventh major title, having beaten Jannik Sinner in the US Open final a few months earlier. Since April he has missed both the French Open and Wimbledon and only recently returned to training before deciding to pull out of Cincinnati. The timing places his next realistic competitive outing close to the US Open and raises questions about match readiness after a prolonged layoff.

Medical staff have diagnosed Alcaraz with tenosynovitis, described in the report as a painful inflammation of the fluid-filled sheath surrounding a tendon on the inside of the wrist. The condition is commonly caused by repetitive actions such as gripping and swinging a racket and can produce swelling and ongoing tenderness. While minor cases can resolve with weeks of rest, the article states more severe cases can require extensive physiotherapy or surgery with recovery taking up to a year; Alcaraz has not undergone surgery but has been out for over four months and for part of that period was unable to use a racquet.

The wrist is central to shot-making in tennis: the joint contributes to power generation, the roll through a shot and the delicate touch required for drop shots that form part of Alcaraz's all-court repertoire. The lack of muscle around the wrist bones and tendons complicates rebuilding strength after injury, making timelines unpredictable. "They're much tougher injuries," 1996 Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek told Tennis365. "It's really difficult to reset when you start playing again [after this type injury]. You need to go step by step. "It's not as clear-cut as tearing the ligaments in your ankle, which [you know takes] three or four months and then you can play again."

Advances in equipment and the modern schedule are cited as increasing wrist strain across the tour, with James Ross, a physiotherapist who works with players at Grand Slams and other tournaments, saying: "A big factor is technological improvements - racquets and strings are better, so the ball is coming at you with more force and you've got to be able to absorb that. "Tennis players also have a more gruelling schedule than ever before, putting more strain on the joints, and the balls are inconsistent between tournaments - changes like that mean the body has to adapt and that presents an injury risk." The article notes Grand Slam winners Dominic Thiem and Juan Martin del Potro as examples of players who suffered recurring wrist problems.

Alcaraz's last competitive victory came in the opening round of the Barcelona Open, where he beat a qualifier but then withdrew from his next match after showing visible discomfort. Photographs and videos on his social media channels show him in a training session in Murcia on Tuesday, sporting longer hair grown during his absence. A competitive return is still described as being "a few weeks off at least," which would leave him carrying almost five months without match play into the US Open if he does compete.

The psychological impact of wrist injuries is highlighted by Sir Andy Murray, who said: "Wrists aren't easy. When the ball is low you know you really have to use your wrist to get the ball up and down, or when the ball is coming fast and quite high you need to use your wrist a lot to bring the ball down. "It's difficult when you try to come back [from a wrist injury], because the pain that you feel when you initially hurt it, mentally it's very difficult to let go of." The article also points out that the increased use of the dominant hand in forming a two-handed backhand has placed additional strain on players' wrists.

Ross warned about recurrence risk and the time needed to rebuild strength, saying: "The biggest risk of injury is a previous injury - if you have had it once, you are more likely to have it in the future." He added: "If a player can get back over a period of a few months and they don't have a reoccurrence, generally they will be OK. "But some things can become chronic and the pressure of the sport to come back, earn money by playing, and keep your ranking points, is a risk." Ross also noted: "The wrist doesn't get great blood supply and it doesn't heal very quickly," and outlined broader rehabilitation priorities, including cardiovascular, core and lower-body work. Given Alcaraz's withdrawal from Cincinnati and the US Open less than a month away, the injury timetable and rehabilitation will determine whether he can defend his title.