Carlos Alcaraz withdraws from Cincinnati Open, casting doubt over US Open defence

Carlos Alcaraz, the world No 2, withdrew from the Cincinnati Open on 5 August 2026, pulling out of the ATP Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati and casting fresh doubts over his US Open title defence later this month.

The seven-times Grand Slam champion has been sidelined since withdrawing from the Barcelona Open second round in April and was unable to defend his French Open title before missing Wimbledon while continuing his recovery. He had been scheduled to make his return at the Cincinnati Masters.

In recent weeks Alcaraz posted videos of training sessions that signalled he was close to a return, but the withdrawal was attributed to an ongoing wrist injury.

Cincinnati tournament director Bob Moran said: “We know Carlos is doing everything he can to get back to playing tournaments as soon as possible,”.

Alcaraz won last year’s Cincinnati title after world No 1 Jannik Sinner retired from the final, and carried the momentum to Flushing Meadows where he won his second US Open crown after his triumph in 2022. He began the season by claiming the Australian Open title to become the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam.

In his absence, Sinner successfully defended his Wimbledon title and took his major tally to five.

The Winston-Salem Open, which begins on 23 August, would be the last chance for Alcaraz to get some matches under his belt before the US Open, though the world No 2 has yet to signal whether he intends to participate in the ATP 250 event. The US Open gets underway on 30 August.