A Champion Returns From the Sidelines
Carlos Alcaraz is back at Flushing Meadows ready to defend his US Open title, and he is making no secret of his ambitions. The Spaniard has been sidelined for four months after suffering a wrist injury during his opening match at the Barcelona Open in April, forcing him to skip the French Open, Wimbledon, and two major hard-court Masters events in Montreal and Cincinnati. That absence cost him more than 5,000 ranking points, dropping him to world No. 3 behind Alexander Zverev.
Despite the lengthy break, Alcaraz has ramped up his preparations recently, working through full practice sets with players including Holger Rune. At his pre-tournament press conference, he struck a tone that balanced realism with genuine belief. He pointed to the examples of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, both of whom returned from serious injuries to win Grand Slam titles, as motivation for his own comeback bid. His opening match is scheduled against Roman Safiullin, who beat Alcaraz in their only prior meeting at the Paris Masters in 2023.
Sinner's Absence Opens the Draw
Alcaraz described the withdrawal of world No. 1 Jannik Sinner as "weird," and it is hard to argue with that assessment. The Italian arrived in New York having won Wimbledon this season and collecting five Masters titles, but knee discomfort has forced him out of the tournament entirely. Sinner will also forfeit 1,300 ranking points as a result, reshaping the competitive landscape significantly.
Alcaraz insists his priority is staying healthy and enjoying competition again after so long away from the court, rather than fixating on the result. For fans tracking the draw, TennisDraw users had Alcaraz as one of the most popular picks to go deep in this year's US Open bracket.
