Roger Federer will enter the Tennis Hall of Fame in the first year he was eligible, a result that comes as no surprise given the scale of his achievements. The Swiss great retired in 2022 after a career that brought him 20 Grand Slam titles and secured his place among the sport’s defining figures.

Although his competitive days are over, Federer has remained a visible presence in 2026. He returned to the Australian Open for an exhibition doubles match and also hit with Casper Ruud in a practice set. Later, he appeared in the Royal Box at Wimbledon, underlining how closely he remains tied to the game.

His schedule continues at the US Open, where he is due to feature in a doubles match with Andy Roddick, Andre Agassi, and John McEnroe during the opening week of the tournament. Just four days after that, Federer will be inducted on August 29th.

He will be honored alongside Mary Carillo at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island. The event is also expected to feature several prominent figures from the sport. Martina Navartilova, already a Hall of Fame member, is set to appear on the pre-show alongside Prakash Amritraj and Dani Klupenger. Brad Gilbert will host an episode of podcast, The Big T, from the event.

Last year’s ceremony included Maria Sharapova and Mike and Bob Bryan, with Sharapova introduced by Serena Williams. That history leaves open the possibility that Rafael Nadal could be involved this time to welcome Federer. Their rivalry shaped two decades at the top of the ATP Tour, with the pair meeting 40 times and Nadal leading 24-16. They also shared 42 Grand Slam titles between them and remain close away from court. Federer recently visited Nadal at the Rafael Nadal Academy, and the two have also been spotted playing golf together.

Carlos Alcaraz has confirmed he will not take part in the Cincinnati Open, extending his spell away from the ATP Tour because of a wrist injury.

The withdrawal was announced through the Cincinnati Open’s social media channels, and it means Alcaraz will miss a third Masters event in succession. His absence has now stretched to five months of ATP Tour competition.

“We know Carlos is doing everything he can to get back to playing tournaments as soon as possible,” said Cincinnati Open tournament director Bob Moran. “We wish him the best with his recovery and look forward to welcoming him back to Cincinnati in the future.”

Despite the lengthy break, Alcaraz remains at world No 2, a position that reflects his continued place near the top of the rankings alongside Jannik Sinner. He had briefly dropped to world No 3 after Alexander Zverev’s run to the Wimbledon final, but Zverev then lost ranking points tied to his Canadian Open defence.

Alcaraz’s latest withdrawal guarantees another slide to world No 3. He won Cincinnati last year, so in 2026 he will lose the full 1000 ranking points because he is not defending the title. That will leave him on 7160 points, at least 930 behind Zverev in second, although that gap could widen depending on results in Toronto and Cincinnati.

There is also pressure from behind. Felix Auger-Aliassime is currently fourth with 4700 points and has a clear chance to close in at the Canadian Open. The Canadian is the second seed on home soil and will be aiming to win the Masters event for the first time in his career. Even if he succeeds, he would still sit around 1500 points behind Alcaraz, though the Spaniard’s Cincinnati absence gives him another opening.

Alcaraz is expected to remain world No 3 by the time of a possible return at the US Open, but that event brings another major challenge. He is defending the full 2000 points after winning it last year, so a drop later in the season remains a real possibility.

Carlos Alcaraz will remain away from competition a little longer after confirming that he will not play the Cincinnati Open this year.

The Spaniard has not competed since the Barcelona Open, where he picked up a wrist injury in his opening match against Otto Virtanen. That setback has already ruled him out of Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and several Masters events, making this the longest spell he has ever spent away from the ATP Tour.

Even so, the latest withdrawal has been accompanied by a more encouraging update from Spanish journalist German Abril. Writing on X, Abril explained that the decision was made with care rather than urgency and indicated that the recovery is moving in the right direction. He also suggested that Alcaraz’s timeline is being handled cautiously with the US Open in mind.

“It’s a decision that was carefully thought out over time, not made overnight,” said Abril. “The recovery is progressing favorably, but by race times it would arrive very tight to compete in Cincy, and it’s about not taking any risks at any step, especially with the US Open so close on the calendar.

“I mentioned it a month ago. The idea was to reach Cincinnati, but the deadlines would be set by his feelings and those of his team. That he doesn’t make it for Cincy doesn’t imply a step back in the recovery. It’s simply that the readjustment is on the right track, but it requires more time.”

Alcaraz has been seen on court several times in recent weeks and, according to the draft, has looked close to his full level. The US Open now appears the likeliest next stop for the Spaniard, a tournament that has delivered major success before.

He won his first Grand Slam title there in 2022 by beating Casper Ruud in the final, and one of his seven major titles also came at the US Open last year, when he defeated Jannik Sinner in four sets. His other appearances in New York include runs to the semi finals and quarter finals, along with one second-round exit.

With Alcaraz defending the full 2000 points at the US Open this year, a shallow run in New York could see him slide down the ATP Tour rankings.