Carlos Alcaraz appears to be closing in on a long-awaited return to professional tennis, with the Cincinnati Open emerging as his likely comeback event following nearly four months sidelined by a wrist injury.
The Spaniard last competed at the Barcelona Open, where he won his opening match before withdrawing due to wrist discomfort after requiring a medical timeout. Since then, he has been carefully working through his recovery, recently spotted hitting balls indoors at moderate intensity.
Now, according to Spanish newspaper El Pais, Alcaraz is expected to move his practice sessions outdoors in the coming days, a significant milestone given the added physical demands of adapting to open-air conditions. Perhaps most encouraging, the outlet reported he has already received the official balls for the Cincinnati Open, scheduled for August 13 through 23.
A separate report from La Verdad, a publication based in Alcaraz's home city of Murcia, confirmed similar expectations, noting that while his participation in Cincinnati is not guaranteed, the plan is to treat the tournament as preparation for the US Open. He holds the defending champion title at both events, putting enormous pressure on his timeline. At Cincinnati alone, he is defending 1000 ranking points.
The injury absence has cost Alcaraz dearly in the standings. He has shed more than 5000 ranking points during this stretch, allowing Alexander Zverev to overtake him in the rankings for the first time since May 2025. Meanwhile, Jannik Sinner has extended his lead to over 5000 points, capitalizing with victories including three clay Masters 1000 titles and a Wimbledon title defense.
For fans eager to see Alcaraz back competing, TennisDraw users have already been factoring his potential Cincinnati return into their hardcourt swing bracket predictions.
