Carlos Alcaraz is making progress in his recovery, but reports from Spain say his work on court remains at a very low intensity.

The seven-time major winner started 2026 in exceptional form. He completed the career Grand Slam at 22 after lifting the Australian Open trophy, then added the Qatar Open title in dominant fashion. His momentum changed, though, when he failed to win any of the first three Masters events of the season, in Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo. Shortly after that, a wrist injury forced him to withdraw from the Barcelona Open in mid-April.

The setback kept the 23-year-old out of the French Open and Wimbledon, raising concerns that his season could be in danger of ending early. Those worries grew further when training footage showed him using an unstrung, broken racket while still wearing a wrist brace, prompting former British No 1 Greg Rusedski to say he was “deeply concerned”.

There has also been a different view. Serena Williams’ former coach Rick Macci said Alcaraz’s wrist is at 100%, that he has played “many matches with other pros” and that he has turned the situation into a positive.

But a report from Clay Tenis presents a far more cautious picture. In a piece titled ‘Carlos Alcaraz ‘s strangest and freest summer’, Nacho Encabo describes the contrast between injury frustration and the lift of watching Spain beat Argentina 1-0 and win the 2026 World Cup at MetLife Stadium.

According to that report, Alcaraz has played no sets, no matches, “nothing of the sort”. His recovery is said to be “on track”, but he is not expected to rush back and risk the rest of the season.

He is scheduled to return at the Cincinnati Masters, held from 13-23 August, though questions remain over whether he will actually play. Clay also reported that he has not been able to hit a ball with complete freedom, even in private practice, since the injury.

Sources close to Alcaraz allegedly say, “Carlos is training, but still at a very low intensity.”

Andy Murray collected three Grand Slam titles in a remarkable career, but he believes one achievement stands above them all in difficulty.

The British great ended a long wait for a men’s major champion from Great Britain at the 2012 US Open, where he beat Novak Djokovic in the final. That victory made him the first British man since Fred Perry in 1936 to lift a major trophy.

Murray’s breakthrough followed four previous defeats in Grand Slam finals. He later added another runners-up finish at the 2013 Australian Open before finally ending the 77-year wait for a home champion at Wimbledon, defeating Milos Raonic in the final.

He would go on to win Wimbledon again in 2016 and has said that missing out there would have left him with lasting regret. Speaking on the latest ATP Tour’s Aces No 1 Club feature, he said: “If I hadn’t won Wimbledon, certainly from a British sporting public perspective, my career would have been a failure,” he said on the latest ATP Tour’s Aces No 1 Club feature.

“The main feeling at the time was just relief. I wouldn’t have to spend the rest of my life thinking about, you know, what if, what could have been.”

Murray’s era overlapped with Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, who dominated the No 1 position in the ATP Rankings. Yet Murray still rose to world No 1 after winning four straight titles at the end of 2016. His defining moment came at the Paris Masters, where he became only the 26th man to reach the top of the rankings.

He then secured the year-end No 1 spot by winning the ATP Finals.

For Murray, that climb to the top outweighs the challenge of winning a major.

“To get to No 1 in the world when you’re surrounded by, you know, the greatest players of all time, that’s 52 weeks of really, really hard work and top performances to get there.

And I would argue it is a lot harder to achieve than winning a Grand Slam.”

Murray’s 2016 season also included titles at Wimbledon, the ATP Finals, the Shanghai Masters, the Paris Masters, Queen’s Club Championship, China Open and Vienna Open, plus singles gold at the Rio Games, which did not award ranking points. He also finished runner-up at the Australian Open, French Open, Madrid Open, Italian Open and Cincinnati Open that year. He retired after the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Mark Philippoussis has spoken warmly about Carlos Alcaraz, saying the sport is better with the Spaniard in it as the world No 3 continues to manage a complicated injury setback.

Spanish newspaper La Verdad reported last week that Alcaraz is aiming to return at the Cincinnati Open, which starts on 13 August. The report said his camp is concentrating on getting him to the tournament in the best possible shape and added: “The wrist is healthy, completely healed and they are gradually increasing the training load.”

Alcaraz has not played since picking up a right wrist injury in his opening-round win at the Barcelona Open more than three months ago. Since then, the seven-time Grand Slam champion has missed the clay-court Masters 1000 events in Madrid and Rome, along with the French Open and Wimbledon. He will also sit out the next Masters event on the schedule, the Canadian Open in Montreal, which begins on 1 August.

Speaking in an exclusive interview at Wimbledon, Philippoussis said he is hopeful the recovery is handled carefully and that Alcaraz can return without rushing the process.

“Look, I hope he comes back healthy. The tennis world needs him,” said the two-time Grand Slam finalist, who won 11 ATP Tour titles.

“I love watching him, he’s incredible for the game. A Grand Slam champion, he’s been No 1 in the world.

“And I just hope he can get healthy. Of course, he’s going to be someone that’s not going to rush the process.

“But also, when it’s to do with the wrist, it’s complicated. So, I’m sure he’s doing everything he can, and hopefully he can be back soon.”

Richard Krajicek also recently offered support for Alcaraz’s return, saying the former world No 4 should regain his full level once the injury settles.