When Carlos Alcaraz hurt his wrist at the Barcelona Open in April, the reaction was immediate concern. Wrist problems have already altered the careers of some of the game’s most gifted players, including Dominic Thiem and Juan Martin del Potro.

Both men reached the top of the sport and both won Grand Slam titles, yet injuries left their careers with lingering what-ifs. Thiem’s own turning point came at the Mallorca Open in 2021, less than a year after he lifted his first and only Grand Slam trophy at the US Open in 2020. After that, he was never truly able to rejoin the ATP Tour’s top tier. Del Potro’s path was similarly affected by chronic issues in both wrists, which repeatedly interrupted a career of huge promise.

Now Thiem has offered his view on Alcaraz’s recovery and the way the Spaniard has returned to a high level at this year’s US Open. In an interview with El Mundo, the Austrian said: “I expected him to really take his time, to manage the injury well, and I think he has done it.

“With an injury, you need a lot of patience. I didn’t return to playing very soon, but I did go back to training. Everything Carlos did right, I did wrong.”

So far, Alcaraz has done little to suggest the wrist has significantly changed his game, apart from a serve that looks a bit less powerful than before the injury. He has moved into the US Open quarter finals with wins over Roman Safiullin, Jaime Faria, Wu Yibing, and Tommy Paul.

He has conceded only one set in four matches, an impressive return given that he had not played a singles match for four and a half months.

Next comes his toughest assignment yet. Alcaraz will face Ben Shelton for a place in the semi finals, and Shelton’s strong form at Flushing Meadows should provide a serious examination of the Spaniard’s wrist and match sharpness. Even so, Alcaraz has already beaten the American three times, including their only Grand Slam meeting at Roland Garros in 2025, plus meetings at the Laver Cup and the Canadian Open.

Ben Shelton may go into his US Open quarter-final against Carlos Alcaraz as the outsider, but he remains the player most likely to trouble the Spaniard in that part of the draw.

That is the view of former world No 4 Greg Rusedski, who says Shelton will need one of his best serving performances if he is to push the seven-time major winner. Rusedski also noted Alcaraz’s strong record against Americans at Grand Slam level, where he is 13-0, leaving Shelton needing both boldness and precision on Tuesday night.

On his Off Court podcast, Rusedski said, “Shelton is a danger man because he’s got that massive serve; he can take the racket out of your hand.

“You have to mix up your serve. The serve is the key, holding your service games. And then taking risks, especially on Alcaraz’s second serve. Going big, coming in every once in a while, bringing him forward on your terms, making him feel uncomfortable.

“And that all starts by holding your service games easily; that’s where you use the kick serve, serve and volley, slice, flat. Don’t be predictable because if he gets a rhythm, you’re in trouble, and you need a high percentage of first serves.”

Andy Roddick, another player built around a huge serve, offered a different angle. Speaking on Served, he argued that Shelton must lean into pace and disruption rather than disguise.

The 2003 US Open champion said, “Ben has to disrupt. He has to go big on the second serve. The chips are out of play against Carlos. I am curious to see how he goes about strategy. I think he has to buzz the tower with big first serves, body blows.

“Who else from a lefty can go 145mph? He [Alcaraz] doesn’t see that. Ben has the serve. He has to use it and use his disrupting weapon against Carlos to have a real shot.”

Brad Gilbert has also been weighing up the match since the draw was made. The former coach of Andre Agassi believes the winner will go on to capture the title, but he says Shelton must simplify his serving patterns and improve his second-serve return if he is to beat the 23-year-old for the first time after four straight defeats.

Gilbert said on The Big T podcast,”If I was coaching Ben… he hits a lot of kicks and slices and a lot of variation. I want to see the 149(mph), I want him to drop 30 aces and be a little less unpredictable on the serve.

“I think if he can go out and take some risk on second serve returns, keep the rallies short, kind of rush him, I think that’s his best shot. Once the rallies get extended… problems.”

The men’s draw at this year’s US Open has produced an unexpected final eight, with several leading names already out of the tournament much earlier than many had projected. Novak Djokovic was eliminated in the opening round, while Felix Auger-Aliassime, Alex de Minaur, and Lorenzo Musetti all exited in the following round.

Carlos Alcaraz’s return from a wrist injury has drawn plenty of attention, but the tournament has also delivered a notable result for American men’s tennis on home soil. Three Americans have reached the quarter-finals, even though Taylor Fritz, Learner Tien, and Tommy Paul are not among them.

Here are Tennis365’s official predictions for all four men’s quarter-final matches at this year’s US Open.

Alexander Zverev vs Botic van de Zandschulp

Alexander Zverev has put together an impressive season and has repeatedly benefited from injuries and below-par form among top seeds. The German lifted his first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros earlier this year, after Djokovic went out early and Alcaraz withdrew.

Zverev has looked less secure in New York. He needed five sets to defeat Lorenzo Sonego and Quentin Halys in his first two matches, before producing straight-sets wins over Alejandro Tabilo and Luciano Darderi.

Van de Zandschulp has reached his second Grand Slam quarter-final by beating Jan Choinski, de Minaur, Zizou Bergs, and Arthur Gea.

Prediction: Zverev will have too much for the Dutchman and should progress in straight sets.

Karen Khachanov vs Alexander Blockx

Few would have expected Karen Khachanov and Alexander Blockx to be in this round, yet both have impressed. Khachanov arrived having lost three matches in a row, but he has beaten Felix Auger-Aliassime and Learner Tien.

Blockx has defeated Flavio Cobolli and Francisco Cerundolo, though injury concerns remain. He said he was close to retiring in his round of 16 match with Cerundolo.

Prediction: Khachanov is the clear pick, although Blockx’s physical condition could decide matters before the match is finished.

Frances Tiafoe vs Alex Michelsen

An all-American quarter-final was possible, but this pairing would still have been difficult to predict. Tiafoe is the more established name at this stage, having reached the semi-finals in 2022 and 2024.

Michelsen, however, is on his best run at a Grand Slam and remains the only player in the men’s draw not to lose a set on the way to the quarter-finals. He has also taken advantage of an opening section of the draw that offered limited resistance, with only two seeded opponents and none from the top 15 of the ATP Tour rankings.

Prediction: Tiafoe should win, but Michelsen is likely to make him work hard for it.

Ben Shelton vs Carlos Alcaraz

The standout match of the round is Shelton against Alcaraz. It is the highest-ranked quarter-final by combined rankings, and Alcaraz’s lack of match fitness after his wrist injury gives Shelton some hope.

That said, Shelton has never beaten Alcaraz, losing all three of their previous meetings. He has, however, handled his own path well, defeating Tallon Griekspoor, Hubert Hurkacz, Denis Shapovalov, and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Prediction: Shelton’s serving should be enough to carry him through, with Alcaraz still building after four and a half months away.