For a moment, the “Vamos!” chants at Flushing Meadows seemed like they might have to wait. Carlos Alcaraz, the 23-year-old world No. 2, had already spent more than four months on the sidelines, and his Cincinnati Open withdrawal only fed uncertainty around his comeback. But just when doubts started to creep in, Carlitos finally had the answer fans had been waiting for.
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The Spaniard took to Instagram, saying “We are back, here we go!” in the signature style of famed soccer transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano.
The announcement featured Alcaraz in his Nike gear with the US Open branding in the background to announce his comeback after a troublesome right wrist put his season on pause.
The injury had forced him to sit out both Roland Garros and Wimbledon. It’s obvious he wanted to get back as soon as possible, and his initial target was a return at the Cincinnati Masters 1000 on August 13. But his recovery took longer than expected, leading him to ultimately withdraw. He continued training in Spain rather than rushing back before he felt completely comfortable striking the ball.
Now it seems like his patience has finally paid off. He recreated US Open conditions during training sessions with Holger Rune in Spain, with some sessions lasting for as long as four hours.
Thursday’s session proved to be the decisive test, which convinced him and his team that his wrist was ready for the demands of official competition.
Alcaraz is expected to arrive in New York at the start of next week and begin high-level training ahead of the tournament. There is also a possibility of him entering the mixed doubles, with organizers reportedly keeping one of the remaining wild cards available for him.
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.
However, there’s a 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 hope of his return.
And there is another big name in the same boat as him.
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.