Carlos Alcaraz is in the final stage of recovering from his wrist injury that has kept him out of the circuit since the ATP Barcelona. It is expected that he will return for the Masters 1000 in Cincinnati. In fact, Greg Rusedski considers it crucial for the Spanish tennis player to compete in this tournament; otherwise, his participation in the 2026 US Open would be at risk.
Alcaraz and his team have been taking a step-by-step approach in recovering from such a complicated injury like the wrist, avoiding rushing to prevent setbacks. Therefore, it is normal that upon his return, he will gradually test himself and find sensations. Barring any surprises, Carlos will be in Cincinnati, as it would be too risky to return directly at a Grand Slam with best-of-five set matches. Therefore, if he doesn't end up playing in that Masters 1000, Rusedski sees it unlikely for him to compete in the New York major.
"To have any chance of playing in the US Open, he has to play in Cincinnati. If he plays Cincinnati and the wrist holds up, it will be fantastic news for our sport because we definitely need him back. If he doesn't play in Cincinnati, we know he won't play the US Open and he would have been away from tennis for a long time," he declared on his 'Off Court' podcast.

Rusedski explains why Alcaraz cannot return directly at the US Open
Alcaraz defends the title in Cincinnati and at the US Open, so he cannot afford much more time away from the circuit. By skipping Masters 1000 like Rome or Madrid and not playing in Roland Garros and Wimbledon, he has dropped to the number 3 position in the ATP rankings, behind Alexander Zverev. However, Rusedski believes that "he has to be smart because he needs to ramp up the load to a certain point and doesn't want to rush him too much. Cincinnati could help him because he'll have more breaks between matches, but there are still many uncertainties."
Unlike women's tennis, men notice a big difference between the Masters 1000 and the Grand Slam, which is why Alcaraz is taking a big risk if he wants to return directly at the US Open. "It's a bit easier for the women because when you get to the important tournaments, it's like a normal week with a guaranteed day off each week, playing best-of-three sets. Making the leap to playing best-of-five sets is hard for the men," he stated.
Finally, Rusedski said, "from what I saw in that original video, I didn't think he would play in the US Open, but we need him back in our sport and we'll see. In Cincinnati, let's keep our fingers crossed for his return because we miss Carlos. I really hope he comes back to Cincinnati in full form." At first glance, it should be that way because Alcaraz needs tennis, and tennis needs Alcaraz.
本新闻为自动翻译。您可以阅读原始新闻:"Si Alcaraz no juega Cincinnati, no jugará el US Open"

