Carlos Alcaraz has made a strong run to the US Open quarter-finals despite arriving with injury concerns. The Spaniard had not played for four and a half months before the tournament because of a wrist injury picked up at the Barcelona Open in April, a layoff that naturally raised questions about how far he could go at the final Grand Slam of the year.

Those doubts have quickly faded. Alcaraz has advanced by defeating Roman Safiullin, Jaime Faria, Wu Yibing and Tommy Paul, and he has done so with very little resistance. Across his first four matches, he has dropped only one set, a sign that his level has remained high even after such a long absence.

The world No 3 has also been open about a broader shift in how he wants to manage his career. After previously saying he intended to play fewer tournaments because of the demanding ATP Tour calendar, he reiterated that position in his post-match press conference after beating Paul in the round of 16.

“Tennis can be very unpredictable because you don’t know how many matches you’re going to win, whether tournaments will last one match or seven. You can never know for sure,” he said.

“It will depend on how I feel physically, how I feel mentally, whether I need long breaks at the beginning, middle, or end of the season,” said Alcaraz.

He then made clear that his long-term aim is to extend his time in the sport.

“I’d like my career to be very long, to last for the next 10 or 15 years, so I definitely want to take care of my mental and physical health,” he revealed.

“Right now, I want to keep playing, but in such a long career… it will depend; what I am sure of is that I’m going to take those breaks.”

Even with that outlook, Alcaraz has confirmed one ATP 500 appearance for 2026. He is set to play the Rotterdam Open for only the second time in his career, having won the indoor hard-court event in 2025. He was initially due to play it in 2026 before withdrawing at the last minute after winning the Australian Open a few weeks earlier. So far, Rotterdam is the only event he has confirmed for next season.

Carlos Alcaraz produced his most complete display of the US Open so far, beating Tommy Paul in straight sets to reach the quarter-finals. After dropping only one set since arriving at his comeback event, the Spaniard looked close to his best on Arthur Ashe Stadium and controlled the match from start to finish.

Alcaraz won 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 in a performance that stood above the rest of his tournament. The result sent him into a last-eight meeting with Ben Shelton in New York, and the way he handled Paul suggested another deep run may be on the cards.

Tim Henman was among those impressed by what he saw from Alcaraz. Speaking on Sky Sports Tennis, he said: “It’s a pleasure to watch Alcaraz go through the gears,” said Henman shortly after the Spaniard secured his place in the US Open quarter finals.

“He’s just got better and better as this tournament has gone on. Tommy Paul gave it everything he had but, at the end of the day, Alcaraz was different class.

“The forehand was firing. I’ve seen plenty of good forehands over the years, but I think Alcaraz’s might be the best. It’s unbelievable how he hits it so hard and [it] doesn’t look like missing.”

Shelton has also impressed on his way to the last eight, but the head-to-head record is heavily in Alcaraz’s favour. He has won all three of their previous meetings, losing only one set in the process.

Their most recent clash came at Roland Garros in 2025, when Alcaraz beat Shelton in the round of 16 before going on to win the title. He also defeated the American at the Laver Cup in 2024 and at the Canadian Open in 2023. The quarter-final is scheduled for Tuesday, 8th September, with the order of play still to be confirmed.

Carlos Alcaraz drew attention earlier in the season when he said he would play fewer tournaments after spending four and a half months out with a wrist injury. Since returning to singles at the US Open, the Spaniard has moved into the quarter finals with little trouble.

After his second-round win over Jaime Faria in New York, Alcaraz made his position clear. “In the future, I’m going to take some breaks,” said Alcaraz after defeating Jaime Faria in the second round of the New York Grand Slam. Maybe not four months, but one month, two months, missing some tournaments, because it’s impossible to play them all.”

That comment led many to expect that ATP 500 events and selected Masters tournaments would be the first to disappear from his calendar. Sam Querrey and John Isner even suggested he might skip stops in Miami and Canada.

Against that backdrop, one of his earliest confirmed tournaments for 2027 comes as a surprise. Alcaraz has been announced for the Rotterdam Open, an indoor event in February after the Australian Open. The ATP 500 tournament confirmed the news on social media, writing: “First indoor title. First Rotterdam trophy. He couldn’t be there in 2026. Now he’s coming back. CARLOS ALCARAZ. ROTTERDAM. 2027.”

The Spanish star had been due to play Rotterdam this year, but his run to the Australian Open title forced him to withdraw from the indoor event. He did play there in 2025 and won the title, marking the first time he entered the Dutch tournament.

The decision is notable because Rotterdam comes quickly after the Australian Open and immediately before the Middle Eastern swing, which includes Dubai and Qatar. Those events are known to be highly lucrative for players such as Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, with both receiving $1.2 million for appearing in the ATP 500 event this year.

If he does play that stretch, Alcaraz could already have five tournaments behind him before the clay court swing begins, a demanding start that sits uneasily with his stated wish to take more time away from competition.