Carlos Alcaraz, the 23-year-old tennis star and defending champion at the Cincinnati Open, has officially withdrawn from the tournament because of an ongoing wrist injury. The Cincinnati Open is scheduled to run from August 13 to August 23, 2026 [1, 2, 3].
Alcaraz has been sidelined since April 2026 when he injured his wrist during the Barcelona Open and withdrew from that event [1, 4, 5]. He has missed several major tournaments during his recovery, including the French Open in June and Wimbledon in July, where he was unable to defend his titles [1, 4, 6].
The injury has been identified as tenosynovitis, an inflammation of the tendon sheath. Despite being out of competition for over four months, Alcaraz has not undergone surgery and continues his recovery efforts [5].
Tournament director Bob Moran said, "We know Carlos is doing everything he can to get back to playing tournaments as soon as possible." He added, "We wish him the best with his recovery and look forward to welcoming him back to Cincinnati in the future" [1, 4].
Alcaraz is a seven-time Grand Slam champion and was the defending Cincinnati Open winner from 2025 [6, 3]. His withdrawal from Cincinnati casts uncertainty on his participation in the US Open, which begins on August 30, 2026 [4, 6, 7]. Although Alcaraz remains on the entry list for the US Open, he has not confirmed if he will compete [8, 9].
The Winston-Salem Open, starting August 23, 2026, could serve as a final tune-up event before the US Open. However, Alcaraz has not confirmed plans to play there either [6, 3].
His next potential return to competition and confirmation on US Open participation are expected soon given the proximity of that tournament.
