Carlos Alcaraz Withdraws from Cincinnati Open, Eyes US Open Return

Alcaraz's Setback Ahead of Major Tournaments

Madrid, Spain - August 5: Carlos Alcaraz's comeback to competitive tennis has hit a snag as the Spanish star has decided to withdraw from the upcoming 2026 Cincinnati Open.

The Cincinnati Open is slated to occur from August 13 to 23, just before the US Open, which is the last Grand Slam of the season, running from August 30 to September 13.

Officials from the tournament announced on Tuesday that the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion will not participate in the ATP Masters 1000 event, preventing him from defending the title he secured last year. The main draw is set to commence next week, according to reports from Olympics.com.

Alcaraz has been out of action since suffering a wrist injury during the Barcelona Open in April, which led to his absence from both the French Open and Wimbledon.

The 23-year-old is aiming for a return at the US Open, where he will also be defending his championship title.

In recent weeks, Alcaraz has been gradually increasing his recovery efforts, moving from strength and conditioning exercises to full training sessions in Cincinnati. However, the ATP Masters 1000 event has come too soon for the world No. 2.

By missing the Cincinnati Open, Alcaraz will lose the 1,000 ranking points he earned from his victory there last year and will also need to defend 2,000 points at the US Open, as the gap to world No. 1 Jannik Sinner continues to grow.

Olympic champion Alexander Zverev is also making strides, having won the Paris Masters and reached his first Wimbledon final.

Despite Alcaraz regaining his position as world No. 2 ahead of Zverev in the ATP rankings, his withdrawal from Cincinnati is likely to see him drop back to No. 3.