Aug. 20 (UPI) — Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz will end his tennis hiatus to defend his title at the 2026 U.S. Open, he announced Thursday on social media.
Alcaraz last played in a straight-sets win over Otto Virtanen in the Round of 32 of the Barcelona Open on April 14 in Barcelona. He withdrew before his next match due to a right wrist injury he sustained in the win over Virtanen.
The 2026 Australian Open winner went on to miss the 2026 French Open and Wimbledon 2026, in addition to several other tournaments.
The singles draws for the 2026 U.S. Open will be held Aug. 27 in Flushing, N.Y. Main draw play will be held from Aug. 30 through Sept. 13 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
Alcaraz, who lost to world No. 1 Jannik Sinner of Italy in the 2026 U.S. Open finale, remains the No. 2 player in the ATP Tour singles rankings despite his four-month hiatus.
Sinner is the betting favorite to win the 2026 title. Alcaraz owns the second-best odds, ahead of No. 3 Alexander Zverev of Germany, No. 6 Ben Shelton of the United States and No. 5 Novak Djokovic of Serbia, among others.
Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus is the favorite to capture the women’s title. With a victory, she would become the first woman since Serena Williams in 2014 to win three consecutive U.S. Open singles titles.
About the Author
