Carlos Alcaraz’s comeback at this year’s US Open is already one of the defining storylines of the season. After months away from competition, the Spaniard arrives under a level of scrutiny that comes with both his reputation and the unusual shape of this Grand Slam draw.

Alcaraz has not played since April, when a wrist injury at the Barcelona Open forced him to miss Roland Garros and Wimbledon. It is the longest layoff of his career, yet he still remains among the leading names for the title, a reflection of the standard he can produce when fully fit.

With Jannik Sinner also absent from the tournament, the door has opened wider for the rest of the field. Speaking to ESPN, Patrick McEnroe said Alcaraz will need to navigate his opening matches before he can be viewed as the clear favorite. He also described the 2026 event as a “golden opportunity” for the chasing pack, including the likes of Ben Shelton.

McEnroe added: “Obviously if Alcaraz comes back and gets through a few matches, looks good, he’ll quickly become the favorite.

“I mean, he’s the favorite right now, but he’d quickly become a bigger favorite. There’s no doubt the fact he hasn’t played since the spring, with Sinner out, this is a monster opportunity.”

Alcaraz enters the event as the second seed, behind Alexander Zverev, and the pressure is immediate. He is defending the title he won in 2025, which means the full 2000 ranking points are on the line at Flushing Meadows. An early defeat would bring a sharp drop in the rankings and a difficult start to his return.

To help regain rhythm, Alcaraz has also entered the US Open Mixed Doubles with multi-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams. They are scheduled to face Lloyd Glasspool and Erin Routliffe in the evening session on Tuesday, 25th August. Alcaraz has limited mixed doubles experience, though he did play the inaugural event with Emma Raducanu in 2025. That partnership ended in a first-round loss to Jack Draper and Jessica Pegula, and he will be hoping for a longer run this time to gather more match practice before the main draw.

Nick Kyrgios has been provisionally banned from tennis after testing positive for cocaine at the Mallorca Open, marking a serious setback for the Australian.

The length of the suspension has not yet been decided, but Kyrgios addressed the situation on social media soon after the news emerged.

“I recently failed a drug test in Mallorca after testing positive for cocaine. I made a huge mistake and I take full responsibility for it,” he said.

“I’m sorry to my fans, my family, my sponsors and everyone close to me. Above all, I’m sorry to the kids who follow me. I know the example this sets and I’m deeply disappointed in myself.

Boris Becker later commented on the case and said he was not especially surprised by the outcome. Speaking on Becker Petkovic, the former Wimbledon champion said: “He tested positive for doping. In this case it was cocaine. Was I surprised? Not really. Given how I have seen him lately.”

Becker also outlined how the timing of the substance could affect the punishment. “And now the question is, did he take it before the match? Then I think he will be banned for at least two years,” explained the former world No 1. Or after the match, so not during a tournament. Then the penalty is milder.”

Even so, Becker expressed sympathy for Kyrgios and suggested he still could recover from the setback. “Yes, of course he can’t complain about criticism. He really dished it out at Sinner in his doping case. Simona Halep also commented on it and spoke of karma. Still I am a humanist and we are all human. We make mistakes. So I hope that he recovers.

“That he realizes that this is the wrong path. Drugs have no place in sports anyway. But especially with young people, he is only 31. And I hope that with help from his friends he finds himself again. I think he has lost his way a little bit.

“He spoke about the fact that he has realized how much he loves tennis. And how he misses not being at the top of the world and not playing tournaments anymore for whatever reason.”

Before the positive test, Kyrgios had made only scattered appearances on the ATP Tour during the year. He played singles in Brisbane, Stuttgart and Mallorca, and also featured in doubles at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

The possible sanction remains open-ended. Kyrgios could face as much as four years out of the sport, although he may be eligible for a far shorter ban if he can show that he took the substance outside competition, which in this case would be at the Mallorca Open. That could reduce the punishment to three months.

While he waits for the final decision, Kyrgios has also been taken out of the 2027 Kooyong Classic.

Stan Wawrinka’s absence from the US Open wildcard list has emerged as one of the season’s most unexpected decisions. The three-time Grand Slam champion has already said he will retire at the end of the 2026 season, and several major events on the ATP Tour have made room for him this year. He received wildcards for the Australian Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon, along with ATP 1000 appearances at the Italian Open and the Monte Carlo Masters.

That made a place in New York seem likely, but the US Open did not extend one. As a result, Wawrinka’s Grand Slam story at that event is now over.

The men’s wildcard list for US Open 2026 includes Gael Monfils, Michael Zheng, J.J Wolf, Sebastian Gorzny, Jack Kennedy, Patrick Kypson, Dane Sweeny and Darwin Blanch.

Magnus Norman, who has coached Wawrinka for the last 14 years on the ATP Tour, responded on social media and reflected on the long run the pair enjoyed in New York. Writing on an Instagram Story, Norman said: “We pushed to play one last Grand Slam at 41 years of age but we just came up short.

“It sure hurts but thanks for all the beautiful memories on and off the court together with you and the team in New York for the last 13 years.”

The decision is especially striking because one of Wawrinka’s three major titles came at Flushing Meadows. He won the US Open in 2016 after defeating Novak Djokovic in the final, a match that remains one of the standout performances of his career.

Wawrinka also beat Kei Nishikori, Juan Martin del Potro, Dan Evans and Fernando Verdasco on that run. Overall, he has played 62 matches at the US Open since his debut in 2005, winning 46. That 74% success rate is better than his record at Wimbledon, Roland Garros or the Australian Open.