Alcaraz Withdrawal Casts Doubt Over US Open Title Defence

Overview

• Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the Cincinnati Open while still rehabbing a right‑wrist tenosynovitis, removing his main hard‑court tune‑up before the US Open and raising questions about his match readiness.
• Leading injury expert Stephen Smith and other medical voices warned that New York’s hard courts, heat and best‑of‑five matches increase the risk of re‑injury if Alcaraz returns too quickly.
• Former player Jose Luis Clerc publicly urged Alcaraz to skip the US Open and use smaller events to rebuild match fitness rather than jumping straight into a Grand Slam.
• An Italian tennis medical official suggested unconfirmed concerns about Alcaraz’s mental state, a claim that has generated controversy while the player’s camp has offered limited public medical detail.
• Alcaraz’s strong 2026 start, including an Australian Open win, and the roughly 1,000 ATP points lost by missing Cincinnati mean the team must balance short‑term ranking and title defence against the long‑term health of his wrist.