Carlos Alcaraz’s extended spell away from competition has prompted an injury specialist to suggest the situation fits into “one of two things.”

The seven-time Grand Slam winner has not appeared on court since hurting his wrist in his opening-round victory at the Barcelona Open on 14 April. He is understood to be dealing with tenosynovitis, an inflammation of the tendon sheath in the wrist.

That problem has already kept the world No 2 out of the last two Grand Slams and the last four Masters 1000 events. He has not yet said when he will be ready to return, while his name remains on the 2026 US Open entry list. Even so, there is widespread doubt that the New York major, which starts on Sunday 30 August, will arrive in time for the defending champion.

Alcaraz has also pulled out of the Cincinnati Masters, and he is not entered in any other tournament before the US Open.

Smith, founder and CEO of Kitman Labs, said the length of the layoff may actually indicate that his team is handling the issue carefully. Speaking exclusively to Tennis365, he said: “I would say they are managing it very carefully, and I would think, in some ways, it’s a good sign because they’re obviously taking it really seriously.”

He added: “I think it was suggested that this [injury] was tenosynovitis, which is an overuse injury — like Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper’s injuries. All three are overuse injuries where they’re not coping with the load and demands of the game.

“We’ve seen other players drop out for shorter periods and try to jump back in… I think we’re seeing potentially a very different philosophical approach [from Alcaraz], to say, let’s potentially pause, let’s not have an issue when we come back out and it flares back up again.

“So, I would think it’s one of two things. It’s either really, really challenging, and he’s still having a lot of symptoms, or they’re being really patient and they’re thinking about how to do this the right way, and how to bring him back and ensure this doesn’t rear its head and they don’t have recurrences.

“Obviously, without being in that team, it’s hard for us to understand which of those that is. But for his sake, you would hope that it’s the latter.”

Smith also said he would be “shocked” if Alcaraz returned for the US Open.

“Given how patient they’ve been, I would be shocked to see him at the US Open,” said Smith.

“If you’re taking that patient approach and you’re progressively building, why throw somebody back in to the hardest thing they might do all year? Surely, you want that to be a progressive build.”

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner may not be in the Cincinnati Open draw this year, but their influence on the event is already well established.

Alcaraz lifted the title in 2025 and also owns another final and a quarter-final at the Masters event that so often serves as a final tune-up before the US Open. Sinner, for his part, captured the Cincinnati Open in 2024 and returned the following year to reach the final again, only to lose to Alcaraz.

Their 2025 championship match produced a notable record. It was the shortest final in the tournament’s history, with the pair completing only five games in the opening set before Sinner retired because of illness. The Italian later apologised to the crowd during the trophy presentation after the abrupt finish, which came in the fourth final between the two men in that 2025 season at that stage.

“I’m super, super sorry to disappoint you,” Sinner said to the fans during the championship ceremony.

“From yesterday I didn’t feel great. I thought that I would improve during the night, but it came up worse. I tried to come out, tried to make it at least a small match, but I couldn’t handle more, so I’m very sorry.”

Alcaraz responded in a sportsmanlike manner and addressed his rival directly as he accepted the title.

“This is not the way that I want to win trophies, I just have to say sorry, I can understand how you must feel now,” Alcaraz said to Sinner as he held the Cincinnati Open title.

“As I said many times, you are a true champion and I am sure from these situations, you are going to come back even stronger, as you always do. That’s what true champions do. I’m sorry and come back stronger.”

The two have met 17 times on the ATP Tour, with Alcaraz leading the series 10-7. Even so, Sinner has taken three of their last five meetings, a sign that the contest remains competitive.

Both players are still scheduled to appear at the US Open at the end of August, although each arrives with fitness concerns. Alcaraz is continuing his recovery from a wrist injury, while Sinner has been managing a knee issue since his Wimbledon title run in July.

Alexander Zverev has strengthened the case for being the clear No 2 in men’s tennis during Carlos Alcaraz’s five-month break from the sport. In that span, he has lifted his first Grand Slam trophy at Roland Garros and made his first career run to the Wimbledon final.

Still, one familiar issue has remained in place. Jannik Sinner continues to be the player Zverev cannot solve.

Zverev’s Wimbledon final defeat to Sinner marked his 10th consecutive loss to the Italian, a streak that began at the Cincinnati Open in 2024. Even so, Zverev has managed to move ahead of Sinner in one important 2026 ATP Tour measure, thanks to his results in Cincinnati.

After beating Cameron Norrie and Terence Atmane at the Masters event, Zverev became the player with the most match wins on the ATP Tour this season.

ATP Tour match victories in 2026

Alexander Zverev – 46
Jannik Sinner – 44
Rafael Jodar – 36
Tommy Paul – 34
Ben Shelton -33

That places Zverev ahead of Sinner, who has produced 44 wins in nine tournaments this year, along with Rafael Jodar, Tommy Paul and Ben Shelton. It is also important to note that Zverev has played far more matches than Sinner in 2026. Zverev has contested 58 ATP Tour matches, while Sinner has played 47, giving the German more opportunities to collect victories.

Even with that difference, Zverev’s 75% winning rate this season supports his world No 2 ranking. With 17 seeded players already out of the Cincinnati Open, he enters the event as the leading contender for his first Masters title of the season.

His record against Sinner at Masters level this year remains a concern, however, with losses coming at Indian Wells, the Miami Open, the Madrid Open and the Monte Carlo Masters. The absence of the world No 1 in Cincinnati gives him a different outlook, but a tough next assignment still awaits.

Zverev will face Tommy Paul for a place in the quarter finals. He has lost two of their three meetings, at the Mexican Open in 2020 and Indian Wells in 2022, while his only win over the American came at the Australian Open in 2025, when he prevailed in four sets on the way to the final. The pair are scheduled to meet in the fourth round on Wednesday, 19th August, with the order of play still to be confirmed by the Cincinnati Open.