Carlos Alcaraz may not have defended his US Open crown, but he emerged from New York without any setback, which was the primary concern after a long spell away from competition.

The 23-year-old’s run ended in the quarter-finals after a demanding five-set defeat to Ben Shelton, who produced a major effort in a match that finished at around 3.30am. Shelton came through 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (10-7) in a contest that pushed both players to the limit.

For Alcaraz, the significance of the tournament went beyond the result. It was his first event back after more than four months sidelined by a wrist injury, and simply getting through the event healthy represented an important step in his recovery and return.

After the loss, Alcaraz made clear that he viewed the week in positive terms. He said, “I leave the court happy. I leave the court with a smile. I am proud of myself, how I fought. As I said before the tournament began, my expectation was to go there, compete, play these kind of matches, be healthy.”

He later added, “ I’m eager to get back home, to train, to compete, and in the end, this is what we’ve been missing, and getting back home healthy is the most important thing.”

Rennae Stubbs has since spoken about the Spaniard’s condition and mindset as he looks ahead to the rest of his 2026 season. Speaking on The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast, she said, “He [Alcaraz] ran out of gas. I actually had a little text with him a couple of days after and he said the arm was really good. So that’s really positive for him. But he was knackered. He hadn’t played a five set match in four months.

“Did you see the face that he had when he walked off the court smiling? You know, everyone walks off that court, they’ve either got a towel over their head or they’re like pouting or they’re like throwing rackets or whatever.

“This guy walks off with a smile on his face. He just he’s so happy just to be healthy. And he loved every second of that warrior battle till 3.30 in the morning. If you don’t like Carlos Alcaraz, I’m sorry. We can’t be friends. Because this guy is the best.”

Alcaraz is next due at the Laver Cup later this month, before heading to the Japan Open. How often he plays after that remains to be seen.

Juan Carlos Ferrero has indicated that a coaching comeback may be near, although he is not saying which player will be the beneficiary.

The former French Open champion split from Carlos Alcaraz last December, ending a partnership that lasted seven years and produced six Grand Slam titles. Ferrero later made clear that he would have preferred to keep working with the 23-year-old, whom he once called his “fourth child”.

In 2026, Samuel Lopez has been Alcaraz’s main coach. The season has already brought major highs and lengthy disruption, with Alcaraz completing the career Grand Slam in Australia before a wrist injury kept him out for more than four months.

Ferrero had already said in June that he would be open to coaching world No 1 Jannik Sinner one day. Now he appears set to return to the tour, but the identity of the player involved is still being kept private.

Speaking about life away from the circuit, Ferrero said he has enjoyed time with family and expects to be back in a coaching box at some stage. He told Movistar+, “ This year I’m very calm, enjoying my family and preparing for what’s coming next year. I think I’m going to return to the tennis circuit, but I can’t say with whom.”

That has naturally led to speculation. Rafael Jodar has been mentioned, with the young Spaniard currently coached by his father, Rafael Jodar Senior. Alex de Minaur is another name in the conversation after a difficult 2026, though he still works with Adolfo Gutierrez. Daniil Medvedev also made a recent coaching change, beginning a trial with Andrey Golubev in mid-August. Félix Auger-Aliassime, meanwhile, has not yet named a replacement for Frédéric Fontang.

Ferrero also revisited his time with Alcaraz, saying they have not spoken much since the split. He admitted he would alter some methods in hindsight, but not the overall approach. “In hindsight, I’d change a few small things, but not the essence. I imposed tough training and discipline on Carlos right from the start. I pushed him to the limit many times. I kept him grounded. That’s my way of doing things, and the work paid off.

“We don’t talk much. I wrote to him when he won in Australia and in Doha. I spoke to him when he got injured. Nothing more. We both needed space to start over.”

Alexandra Eala has emerged as one of the standout players on the WTA Tour in 2026, and her ranking reflects that rise. She currently sits at world No. 18 after a strong summer on the North American hardcourt swing, where she claimed her first WTA title at the Washington Open and then reached the third round of the US Open for the first time in her career.

That steady run of results has also made Eala one of the busiest players in the women’s game. She has now played 61 matches since the start of the year, placing her third on the WTA Tour for matches played. Only Jessica Pegula, with 63, and Elena Rybakina, with 62, have been on court more often in 2026.

Eala sits ahead of several other high-profile names in that particular tally, including Mirra Andreeva, Elina Svitolina and Aryna Sabalenka. But while her volume of matches compares well with the tour’s heaviest workloads, her winning percentage is lower than the two players above her in that list. Pegula is at 79.37 percent and Rybakina at 79.03 percent, while Eala’s mark stands at 65.57 percent.

Even so, the figures underline a player who has embraced a demanding schedule and is now seeing the rewards. Her season is set to stay busy as she turns to the Asian swing, beginning with the Singapore Open.

After that WTA 500 event, Eala will represent the Philippines at the 2026 Asian Games, held from September 27 to October 3. She has chosen that event instead of the China Open, the penultimate Masters event on the WTA calendar, a decision that could lead to a fine from the tennis authorities.

No other WTA appearances are confirmed after the Asian Games, though she is widely expected to play the Wuhan Open. Eala has also been confirmed for an exhibition in Manila against Janice Tjen in December, an event that could draw more than 55,000 spectators and potentially set a new record for the best attended tennis match in history.