Carlos Alcaraz withdraws from 2026 Cincinnati Open with wrist injury

Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from the Cincinnati Open on August 6, 2026, due to a wrist injury that has sidelined him since April.

Alcaraz, the 23-year-old who became the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam at the 2026 Australian Open, is the World No. 2 and the reigning Cincinnati Open champion. He last competed at the Barcelona Open in April, where he picked up the injury, and has since resumed training while preparing a comeback. He will head straight to the US Open and will not play any warm-up tournaments ahead of his title defence in New York. The Spaniard won a career-best eight tour-level titles in 2025 but has claimed only two titles this season, at Melbourne and Doha, before being sidelined for close to five months and counting.

"Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from the Cincinnati Open.Wishing all the best to our 2025 champion in his recovery process. Can’t wait to welcome you next year! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Ls1PCFtCfk"

Alexander Zverev’s unexpected defeat to Tallon Griekspoor in Montreal has left Alcaraz’s No. 2 ranking intact for now; Griekspoor beat Zverev 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-4 and that victory was his third Top-5 win. The result in Montreal is noted in coverage as a factor preserving Alcaraz’s current standing in the ATP rankings.

Alcaraz’s eight titles in 2025 include Roland Garros and the US Open, and he finished as runner-up at Wimbledon. Following his title run at Flushing Meadows last season, he reclaimed the top spot from Jannik Sinner.

He also added ATP 1000 titles in Madrid and Rome to his list of achievements, alongside last year’s Cincinnati title. Novak Djokovic, a three-time champion at the Cincinnati Open, will be skipping the ATP 1000 event, while World No. 1 Jannik Sinner will compete at the tournament, which is due to begin August 13th and run through August 23rd.

Alcaraz is expected to return to action directly at the US Open, starting August 23.