ATP Carlos Alcaraz Dani Mérida US Open 2026

Alcaraz and Mérida train together at the US Open

Andrés Tomás Rico - 24 Aug 2026
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Alcaraz and Mérida train together at the US Open. Photo: Dani Mérida's Twitter.

Carlos Alcaraz continues his preparation for his return to the courts after more than four and a half months of injury. After the huge crowd he drew yesterday, today he decided to train with Dani Mérida, one of the standout names of this North American hard court tour and now ranked number 39 in the world. The two Spaniards trained for an hour on one of the outdoor courts.

Alcaraz, who is defending the champion title, left after his one-hour session with Mérida to return to the Arthur Ashe, a court he hadn't stepped on since he defeated Jannik Sinner in the final a year ago, and to carry out another hour of training.

Carlos Alcaraz returned to the Arthur Ashe a year after winning the title against Jannik Sinner

Both arrive in New York with very different expectations. Alcaraz, although he first needs to play mixed doubles with Serena Williams tomorrow, arrives at the US Open with the main goal of regaining sensations and getting match fitness. And if he can get through the early rounds without difficulties and without any physical discomfort, we could start talking about a hypothetical title challenge.

On the other hand, Mérida wants to continue his dream year. The Madrid native has only grown throughout 2026, and his efforts have paid off with his first ATP title in Umag, as well as his first quarterfinals of a Masters 1000 two weeks ago in Canada, or his first Davis Cup call-up with Spain. During this tour, he is proving to be one of the big surprises and one of the standout names of the US Open, as his tennis fits perfectly with the American hard courts.

 

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Alcaraz y Mérida entrenan juntos en el US Open