The “Vamos!” chants are finally heading back to Flushing Meadows, with Carlos Alcaraz confirming his long-awaited return after more than four months away. The wrist injury forced the Spaniard to miss two Grand Slams and several tournaments. And just when his Cincinnati withdrawal had fans wondering whether the US Open was slipping out of reach, Alcaraz had his answer ready.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
The Spaniard took to Instagram with a football-style “Here we go!” announcement alongside transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano, making his return to Queens official.
The announcement featured Alcaraz in his Nike gear with the US Open branding in the background and the words “HERE WE GO”, a pretty fitting way to tell tennis fans that Carlitos is finally back, after being away from the Tour since April, with a troublesome right wrist putting his season on pause.
The injury forced the seven-time Grand Slam champion to sit out both Roland Garros and Wimbledon, leaving fans waiting for the return of one of the sport’s biggest stars. But after a cautious recovery period, he is now ready to defend his US Open crown.
Notably, it has been quite the turnaround from where Alcaraz was earlier this year. After lifting his second US Open trophy last season by beating Jannik Sinner in the final, he carried that momentum into 2026, winning the Australian Open. In fact, he raced to a 22-3 start before the wrist injury in Barcelona brought things to a halt.
But there’s still one silver lining. Despite barely seeing competitive action for months, he has managed to hold on to his No. 2 ranking. Nevertheless, amid his recovery period, the Spaniard’s practice-court sightings gave fans a hope of his return.
But his Cincinnati withdrawal threw another curveball into the comeback story. With the tournament already underway, commentators even wondered whether Alcaraz could realistically jump straight into a Grand Slam without enough match preparation.
And there is another big name in the same boat. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner has also been missing since winning Wimbledon, pulling out of Cincinnati because of a right knee injury. However, the Italian has made it clear that the priority is getting himself ready for New York.
That makes the final Grand Slam of the year even more interesting, as both arrive with question marks hanging over their fitness, and that could make the US Open a very different story.