Carlos Alcaraz’s spell on the sidelines has now stretched to five months after the wrist injury he picked up at the Barcelona Open in April.

That setback has already ruled him out of Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and Masters events in Madrid, Rome, Montreal, and Cincinnati. He remains listed for the US Open, where he has targeted his comeback, but another absence is now confirmed for September.

Alcaraz will not be available for Spain’s Davis Cup tie against Chile, which takes place away from home on 19 and 20 September. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina will also miss the clay-court contest, though Spain captain David Ferrer has still named a competitive squad for the trip to South America.

Spain’s team features Rafael Jódar, Daniel Mérida, Jaume Munar, Martín Landaluce, and Pedro Martínez. Jódar, who has taken the ATP Tour by storm in 2026, is the headline name in the group.

Spain reached last year’s Davis Cup final without Alcaraz, so the team is no stranger to competing without its leading figure. Even so, his record in the event has been strong since his debut in 2022.

Alcaraz has won six Davis Cup matches for Spain, across singles and debuts. His most recent appearance came in the 2024 Davis Cup Finals quarter-finals, when Spain lost to the Netherlands. He beat Tallon Griekspoor in that tie, while he and Marcel Granollers were defeated in doubles by Wesley Koolhof and Botic van de Zandschulp.

The Davis Cup remains one of the few major prizes missing from Alcaraz’s resume, which is why a return for the Finals later in the year would not be a surprise if Spain reaches Bologna. Earlier this season, after completing the Career Grand Slam at the Australian Open, he made clear how much the competition still means to him.

“The Davis Cup, it is a goal as well. I really wanted to achieve that for my country, for Spain,” said the seven-time Grand Slam champion. “I set up some other goals for the season, and I will try to be ready for, or to try to get those goals.”

Former US Open finalist Greg Rusedski believes Novak Djokovic ought to be “protected” by tournament organisers after his early exit at the Cincinnati Open.

Djokovic fell 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 to world No 50 Thiago Agustin Tirante in his opening match at the Masters 1000 event in Mason, Ohio on Saturday. The 24-time Grand Slam champion looked in command through the first set, but the extreme afternoon heat and humidity quickly changed the tone of the contest.

After the defeat, Djokovic explained that he has been managing a health issue that creates “a lot of issues” in difficult weather. “It’s just a condition that I have, health-wise, that has been bothering me for the past couple of years. A lot of issues, especially when it is humid and it is hot,” the 39-year-old Serbian said.

“I did anticipate it, but there are all these things, like nerves and everything involved that make it worse, and that’s what happened.”

On the latest episode of his Off Court With Greg Rusedski podcast, Rusedski said the scheduling in Cincinnati was too harsh for Djokovic and argued that night sessions are the safer option.

“I’m just happy to have Novak around whenever it’s possible. He’s 39 years of age, what he’s achieved is phenomenal,” said the former world No 4.

He added that the conditions in Cincinnati can be punishing for anyone, not only an older player. “Novak has to be protected. He can’t be playing during the day. He has to be playing in the evenings, from 7 o’clock onwards. He’s earned the right to do so.”

Rusedski also pointed to the physical demands of the match and said Tirante used the conditions well after dropping the opening set. “So, for me, scheduling plays a part. I know you can’t always protect your big names because of rain and different things, but I think sometimes, you have to do those things.”

Alexander Zverev came through a testing encounter with Cameron Norrie, recovering from a set down to win in three sets, and the draw around him quickly shifted in his favour at the Cincinnati Open.

Several of the players who might have stood in his way were eliminated in the second round. Novak Djokovic was beaten by Thiago Agustin Tirante in what could be the 24-time Grand Slam champion’s final-ever match at the Cincinnati Open. Valentin Vacherot fell in straight sets to Daniel Vallejo, while Luciano Darderi was also taken out in straight sets by wildcard Rinky Hijikata.

Those results have left Zverev in a promising position as he looks to take advantage of the withdrawals of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. The German has already shown he can make the most of an altered field, having won Roland Garros and reached the Wimbledon final without Alcaraz in the draw. He was unable to do the same at the Canadian Open when both Alcaraz and Sinner were absent, but the Cincinnati Open may now represent an even better opening.

The entire half of the draw has opened up in Ohio, and Djokovic, Vacherot and Darderi were all originally in Zverev’s section. That means he should face lower-ranked opponents until the closing stages.

His next match is against Terence Atmane, with Tomas Martin Etcheverry the player he might otherwise have met. If he advances, Tommy Paul or Vallejo could await in the fourth round, while Rafael Jodar or Flavio Cobolli appear the likeliest quarter-final opponents.

Zverev’s projected route also no longer includes Djokovic in the semi-finals. Alex de Minaur now looks the most likely candidate there, although Jakub Mensik and Arthur Fils will believe they have a chance to reach the last four.

Ben Shelton, fresh from his Canadian Open title, or Felix Auger-Aliassime, shape as the most probable final opponents. After the early shocks, more could follow, but Zverev would have likely accepted this situation before the tournament began.