Alcaraz to return at US Open on Monday after four-month wrist layoff, aims to defend title

Carlos Alcaraz is set to return to singles at the US Open in New York on Monday after more than four months away with a right wrist injury, and the 23-year-old defending champion said he plans to play in the same manner fans know. "You're going to see Carlitos playing the way he always has," Alcaraz said.

Alcaraz missed the French Open and Wimbledon after stepping away from competitive tennis in mid-April because of the wrist problem. He arrives at Flushing Meadows as last year’s champion, having defeated Jannik Sinner in the 2025 US Open final and subsequently moved ahead of the Italian to claim the world No. 1 ranking. Earlier this year he won his seventh Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, defeating Novak Djokovic in the final. With Sinner out of this tournament due to a right knee injury, Alexander Zverev has moved into the top seed position.

Despite the lengthy break, Alcaraz said he has not changed his playing mechanics and believes he is physically prepared to compete at the highest level. "I need competition," he said on Friday. "We, my team and me, believe that I'm ready. It wasn't an easy decision. I just did whatever it took to be ready."

Alcaraz described the absence of Sinner from the draw as unusual. "We are not going to see each other for, like, six months now, seven months," he said. "It's kind of a weird situation, to be honest." American Frances Tiafoe, the 11th seed, predicted attention on Alcaraz's return: "Everyone is going to be pretty tapped in to see his first match," and added, "If he comes back anywhere near his level, it's tough. Regardless, even if he's not at his tip-top shape, you've still got to beat him in five sets."

The Spaniard begins his title defence against Roman Safiullin and will immediately face best-of-five-set tennis, having had limited opportunity to test himself in competitive singles before the tournament. He did, however, gain match time in New York by partnering with Serena Williams in mixed doubles earlier in the week. On returning straight into a Grand Slam after the layoff, he said: "It's really challenging," and added, "Probably in terms of preparation and everything, it is not the best time."

Alcaraz acknowledged the examples of players who returned from long absences and won big events but rejected setting a specific target for this tournament. "I'm not going to set a limit for myself," he said in Spanish. "I don't want to focus on a specific result. I want to focus on the process we've gone through. Just go out there, enjoy it and feel good." Zverev, speaking about the difficulties of wrist injuries, warned: "Wrist is never easy," and added, "I expect him to be maybe a bit rusty the first or second match, but once he gets through that, I think he's going to be a contender, for sure, here."

Alcaraz also described a mental struggle during his time away and outlined his priorities as he returns: staying healthy, trusting his preparation and allowing himself to play freely. "I just have to go 100%." he said. "I've got to trust my team. I've got to trust my people that tell me that it's going to be fine."

Alcaraz will start his US Open title defence against Roman Safiullin on Monday.