Carlos Alcaraz may yet appear at the US Open, although many around the sport still expect the final Grand Slam of 2026 not to serve as his comeback after a long injury absence.

The defending champion has not competed since hurting his wrist at the Barcelona Open in April. His decision to withdraw from the French Open and Wimbledon soon after underlined how serious the problem was.

In recent days, Alcaraz has increased his work as he builds toward a return. A headline-grabbing hitting session with Holger Rune earlier this week drew considerable attention when video from the practice court circulated on social media.

Rune is also working his way back after rupturing his Achilles tendon last November, and he too is considering whether a US Open appearance is realistic. For both players, a mixed doubles outing next week may be a more manageable first step before the main draw begins in New York on Sunday, August 30th.

Neither Alcaraz nor Rune is currently entered for the mixed doubles event, but the format could offer a lower-intensity setting to judge whether they are ready for the demands of the US Open. A return to best-of-five-set tennis after such lengthy time away would clearly carry risk.

There is also the possibility of strong exposure for both players’ sponsors if they reappear in New York in the mixed doubles. Alcaraz previously played with Britain’s Emma Raducanu, while Rune teamed with America’s Amanda Anisimova in last year’s event. Those matches were finished quickly, which is part of why the competition could suit a cautious comeback.

Reports indicate both men may still be granted wildcard access later this month, with USTA chiefs leaving that door open.

Alcaraz withdrew from this week’s Cincinnati Open, yet he still appears tempted by the idea of playing at Flushing Meadows. Former British No 1 Greg Rusedski, though, believes caution is the wiser route.

“You can count the US Open out now. There is no way he’s gonna play in the US Open if he’s missing Cincinnati,” said Rusedski on the latest edition of his podcast.

He added that the length of the absence suggests something more serious than simple inflammation and said he would be surprised to see Alcaraz return in New York.

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.