Carlos Alcaraz withdraws from Cincinnati

Carlos Alcaraz pulled out of the Cincinnati Open on Wednesday, extending an injury layoff that has kept him off the ATP Tour since April. The ATP Tour said the world No. 2 is still recovering from a wrist injury, while Olympics.com reported his camp is targeting a full return for the U.S. Open at the end of August. The withdrawal removes the defending champion from one of the biggest hard-court events before Flushing Meadows. It also adds to a growing list of fitness questions around the men’s field less than four weeks before the year’s final Grand Slam. ### How long has Alcaraz been out? April is the last time Alcaraz played a tour event, according to the ATP Tour and Olympics.com. His most recent appearance came at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, shortly after he reached the Monte Carlo final earlier that month. May and June brought more missed events. The ATP Tour reported in May that Alcaraz would skip both Rome and Roland Garros after tests related to the injury, and in June it said he would also miss Queen’s Club and Wimbledon because of the same wrist problem. (atptour.com) ### What did Cincinnati mean on his schedule? Cincinnati was set to be Alcaraz’s first tournament back. (atptour.com) Sky Sports reported two weeks ago that he was targeting the event for his return, with the tournament scheduled for August 13-23. July 16 brought confirmation that Alcaraz had originally been included in the 2026 singles field. (atptour.com) The Cincinnati Open said when it announced the draw list that defending champions Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek were among the entrants, alongside world No. 1 Jannik Sinner. ### What does this mean for the U.S. (skysports.com) Open? August 30 is the start date now in focus. Olympics.com said Alcaraz’s target is to be fully fit for the U.S. Open title defense, while Sky Sports said the latest withdrawal has increased doubts about whether he will be ready. The ATP Tour did not say when Alcaraz would return, but it noted he is 22-3 this season and remains No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings. (cincinnatiopen.com) That record includes his Australian Open title, which completed the career Grand Slam, according to ATP Tour reporting. ### Why is his absence notable in Cincinnati? August 2025 is when Alcaraz won the Cincinnati title. (olympics.com) The tournament’s recap of last year’s final said he beat Jannik Sinner for his first Cincinnati crown after losing an epic final to Novak Djokovic in 2023. Mason, Ohio, hosts one of the ATP’s key hard-court tuneups before New York, and Alcaraz had been one of the event’s main attractions as defending champion. (atptour.com) His withdrawal leaves the men’s field without the reigning winner and shifts attention to who is healthy enough to play deep into the tournament. ### Is Sinner dealing with a problem too? (cincinnatiopen.com) Jannik Sinner also entered the week under an injury cloud, though the sourcing is thinner. Olympics.com reported that his Cincinnati participation was in doubt because of a knee scare, citing Tennis Temple, while the official Cincinnati and ATP pages available today did not show a fresh withdrawal or medical update. (cincinnatiopen.com) The next concrete dates are August 13, when main-draw play begins in Cincinnati, and August 30, when the U.S. Open starts in New York. Those events will determine whether Alcaraz returns in time for his title defense and whether Sinner takes his place in the draw as planned. (skysports.com) (olympics.com)