It has been almost three months since Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the Barcelona Open, citing a wrist injury. Following this, the Spaniard later went on to miss back-to-back Grand Slams while watching his arch-rival Jannik Sinner climb up the ATP rankings. But that long wait to return to the court may finally be ending.

The seven-time Grand Slam winner is now closing in on a long-awaited return, with the final stage of his recovery almost complete. The Murcia native is set to undergo one last medical examination next Friday, as per Spanish news outlet, Leverdad. This check could finally clear the path for his long-awaited comeback.

If there are no late complications left in his recovery, everything points to Alcaraz being cleared to return to training.

The main goal for the Spaniard and his team is to get back on court at the beginning of August. Their target is the Canadian Masters, scheduled from August 3 to 13, which would also act as a key warm-up event ahead of the last Grand Slam of the year.

There have already been signs that the current world No. 2’s recovery is moving in the right direction. A couple of weeks ago, the former world No. 1 shared a video on social media showing him holding the racket in his right hand again and gently hitting balls.

Those light sessions were not about intensity but about testing how the injured wrist responded. Still, caution has remained the biggest priority for Carlitos and the surrounding people.

Now, all indications seem to point toward Montreal, the city hosting the Canadian Masters event this year. If the final medical check goes as expected, that event is likely to become the first stop on his comeback journey since Conde de Godó.

And while Alcaraz now appears to be on the verge of returning to competition, the discussion around his comeback has already spread beyond his camp.

Rick Macci backs Carlos Alcaraz over encouraging wrist recovery

With the Spaniard’s return now beginning to take shape, the former coach of Serena Williams, Rick Macci, is not worried about how long Carlos Alcaraz has stayed away from the tour. In fact, the 71-year-old believes the Spaniard and his team are making the right call by being patient.

“I think it’s smart they’re playing the long game. He’s an amazing competitor, and probably no one wants to play more than him,” Macci said in an exclusive interview with Tennis 365.

“He’s taking the advice that he’s gotten. And he’s so young. He’s already changed history, he has seven Grand Slams in the back pocket. I think he’s doing the best he can, he’s being cautious,” Macci explained.

While the comeback is being projected more confidently now, there is also a ranking issue beginning to hover over the 23-year-old. After spending more than 400 days inside the ATP top two of the rankings, he could slip down to No. 3 as early as next Monday.

That drop could happen if the current French Open champion, Alexander Zverev, beats Taylor Fritz in the SW19 quarterfinals today.

If the German ace eventually reaches the final, he would climb to 8,480 ranking points. That total would push him past the 8,160 points currently held by the Spaniard, changing the shape of the ATP top three.

For now, the tennis world is left waiting for the final piece of the puzzle. With questions still circling his comeback, all eyes are now on Carlos Alcaraz and what comes next.