Carlos Alcaraz has been forced to withdraw from the Cincinnati Open due to a persistent wrist injury, casting serious doubt over his preparations for the US Open, which gets underway on 30 August.
The 23-year-old has not stepped onto a competitive court since pulling out of the Barcelona Open back in April. That lengthy absence already cost him the chance to defend his French Open crown and wiped out his entire Wimbledon campaign. Now the Ohio hardcourt event, scheduled to begin on 11 August, has also been crossed off his calendar.
Cincinnati tournament director Bob Moran expressed sympathy for the reigning champion, noting that Alcaraz is doing everything within his power to accelerate his return. Moran added that the organisation looks forward to welcoming him back in the future. The warm words, however, do little to disguise the concern building around one of the sport's biggest draws heading into the final Grand Slam of the season.
Alcaraz claimed the French Open title in 2025 and arrived in Cincinnati planning to use the Masters 1000 event as a competitive warm-up before attempting to defend his US Open crown at Flushing Meadows. Without any match play since spring, he now faces the stark prospect of arriving at a major cold, having lost months of rhythm and match sharpness.
The timeline of his recovery remains unclear, and with less than three weeks separating Cincinnati's start date from the US Open draw, the window for competitive preparation is closing fast. Fans and analysts alike will be watching closely for any update from Alcaraz's camp in the coming days.
TennisDraw users had Alcaraz pencilled in deep in the US Open bracket, making this injury news a significant shake-up for bracket predictions across the app.
