Carlos Alcaraz has answered growing doubts over his US Open singles status by revealing that he is scheduled to practice on Thursday at Flushing Meadows.

The defending champion in New York has not played a competitive singles match since the wrist injury he suffered at the Barcelona Open last April. That setback led him to withdraw from the French Open and Wimbledon, and he later had to scrap plans for a comeback appearance at the Cincinnati Open earlier this month.

Concern around his readiness has persisted because several observers have questioned whether his first match back should come in a best-of-five-set Grand Slam. Former US Open champion Andy Roddick and 1997 finalist Greg Rusedski have both pointed to the risks involved, while former British No 1 Laura Robson said it “would be difficult” for him to make a Grand Slam event his return.

Alcaraz is already in New York and featured in the mixed doubles event with fellow legend Serena Williams on Tuesday. But the outing also fueled fresh uncertainty, with his service speeds below the level he would want and his forehand misfiring at times. He has also lost heavily in practice sets in front of crowds this week, and when he did not reserve court time on Wednesday, speculation intensified that a decision on the singles draw might be near.

Thursday’s practice schedule lists him for 12 noon local time, the same time as the draw. It remains possible that he is still weighing his options and may use more practice before making a final call. Even so, any delay would not be without consequence, since his place at the top of the draw could leave the top half of the event unbalanced if he ultimately does not play.

Tennis’s injury discussion has sharpened in 2026, with the ATP Tour losing several leading names and major events feeling the effect. Carlos Alcaraz’s five-month absence has already underscored the strain on the sport, and now Jannik Sinner’s withdrawal from the US Open because of a knee injury has added another major setback.

Holger Rune, Arthur Fils and Jack Draper have also dealt with significant injuries over the past year, reinforcing the sense that the problem has spread through the tour. While the packed calendar is often cited as the main culprit, Patrick Mouratoglou says the issue runs deeper than scheduling alone.

Speaking on Instagram, the former coach of Serena Williams said: “You know the reason, the calendar? I don’t think so. I have a completely different explanation. Since the early 2000s, the governing bodies have decided to slow down the surfaces and homogenise them.

“Some surfaces that used to be very fast are not fast anymore. “Now, most of the players play fully from the baseline, hitting the ball extremely hard with a very high intensity. Look at the injuries that are listed. It’s only upper body injuries.

“We’re not talking about the movement. One of the explanations is the fact that, you know, all the players have to hit the ball way harder than before. The second explanation is the balls. First, from one tournament to the other, it’s a different ball.

“Some are lighter. Some are heavier. It’s constant adaptation for your upper body, and constant different stress on the joints of the upper body. A lot of players have complained that the balls are reacting differently. They get old extremely fast.

“So I think that it’s important that the governing bodies at this point, knowing now that there is a huge increase in injuries from the upper body, work to find the explanation of this phenomenon and then find solutions so we go back to a percentage of injury that is acceptable.”

Mouratoglou is not alone in raising the issue. Earlier this year, Emma Raducanu said: “I do think the balls are a big challenge for all of us. The way that they deteriorate is really challenging.

“I think it gets very fluffy. You see a lot of wrist, elbow, shoulder injuries happening now. And it is hard because the dynamic of the points can be different from when they’re new to when they’re old.”

Daniil Medvedev has also been a persistent critic. “I’m crying because it disadvantages me,” he said earlier this year at the Rotterdam Open. “But if you take six balls out of the new balls out of the can, if you look closely and you bounce them, there are going to be six different balls. I don’t think that’s how it’s supposed to be.”

With top players repeatedly voicing concern, pressure is building for tennis to address one of the sport’s most persistent complaints.

Stan Wawrinka will get one last chance to play the US Open after a late change of plan transformed what had looked like a closed chapter in his Grand Slam career.

The Swiss former champion is due to end his playing career after the ATP 500 event in Basel in October, but he will now first make a final appearance at Flushing Meadows. Wawrinka, who won the US Open in 2016 to complete his third major title, had also lifted the 2015 French Open and the 2014 Australian Open.

At the time of the entry cutoff for the 2026 US Open, the 41-year-old was not ranked high enough for direct acceptance and needed a wildcard. He was initially left out, and that decision drew strong criticism from tennis fans. That situation has since changed after Wawrinka received a wildcard that had been allocated to American Patrick Kypson, who has now withdrawn with an injury.

The US Open announced the update on social media, saying: “Three-time Grand Slam and 2016 US Open men’s singles champion Stan Wawrinka will receive a singles main draw wild card into the 2026 US Open.

More US Open News

Roger Federer gets honest on Novak Djokovic’s US Open chances as he makes retirement admission

Calls for new Grand Slam rules intensify after Stan Wawrinka’s US Open wildcard snub

“Patrick Kypson, previously awarded a main draw wild card, withdrew with an injury.”

Wawrinka then addressed the news in a short statement, confirming how much the opportunity means as he prepares for one final run in New York.

“I’m incredibly excited to accept the wild card for the 2026 US Open and look forward to competing in front of the fans in New York once again,” said the former world No 3.

The announcement followed an emotional Instagram post from the day before, when Wawrinka reflected on his history with the tournament.

“When I first arrived in New York from a small farming village in Switzerland, everything felt too big. The city. The noise. The energy. The crowds. The lights,” Wawrinka wrote.

“But year after year New York slowly became one of my favourite places in the world. This city challenged me. It pushed me. It brought something out of me that few places ever could.

“I experienced some of the strongest emotions of my career here. The battles, the late nights, the incredible atmosphere, the love from the crowd…memories that will stay with me forever.

“Winning the US Open, in the city that never sleeps, will forever be one of the greatest moments of my life.

“Thank you, New York. Thank you, @usopen. Thank you to every single fan who supported me, pushed me, believed in me and shared all these emotions with me over the years.

“Forever grateful. Forever New York.”