Alcaraz reveals mental battle during wrist injury recovery

Carlos Alcaraz said the uncertainty about his return from a wrist injury caused intrusive thoughts, making the recovery process mentally challenging. The 23-year-old has not played a singles match since mid-April but feels ready to defend his US Open title. He will face Roman Safiullin in the first round in New York.

Alcaraz's layoff stems from tenosynovitis, an inflammation of the tendon sheath in his wrist, an area heavily stressed by his powerful forehand. He has been wearing a compression sleeve during practice and played mixed doubles with Serena Williams earlier this week as a warm-up.

The Spaniard won the US Open in 2022 and again in 2025, beating Jannik Sinner in last year's final. Despite the extended break, he is seeded second and opens against Roman Safiullin, a match that will test his match fitness in best-of-five-set conditions.