NEW YORK — Carlos Alcaraz is ready to return from injury to defend his U.S. Open title .
Alcaraz won his second U.S. He is still ranked No. Photos and videos on social media had shown Alcaraz on the practice court, so it appeared he was on the verge of returning during the hard-court swing preceding the U.S. Open before he withdrew from the Cincinnati Open. That tournament is ongoing, and during a match Wednesday night commentators speculated whether Alcaraz would attempt to come back to play a Grand Slam tournament without preparation. The top-ranked Sinner has also been out of action, not playing since winning the Wimbledon title. He pulled out of the Cincinnati tournament with a right knee injury, saying he would focus on being ready to play in New York.
He then won the Australian Open and his next tournament, part of his 22-3 start to this season. 2 despite his absence. Their injuries should create more intrigue for the last Grand Slam tournament of the year than there was in 2025, when they had met in the final at both the French Open and Wimbledon, and were widely expected to do so again in New York.
Because of the injury, but after winning his first match in the Barcelona Open, Alcaraz withdrew from the tournament.
Open title last year, beating Jannik Sinner in the final.
