How Carlos Alcaraz’s Wrist Injury Reshaped His 2026 Season

The 2026 season can be broken down into three chapters for Alcaraz: a strong first three months, a wrist injury that took him out for the summer, and a quick return to form once he finally got back on court. Here’s how the year unfolded for Alcaraz, and what it could mean for the end of the season.

A Promising Start to the Year

Carlos Alcaraz opened the year by beating Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5. This was his seventh career major and the final win he needed to complete his Career Grand Slam, making him the youngest man in history to do so. He followed that with a title in Doha, pushing his record to a perfect 12-0 to begin the season. His season arguably couldn’t have started any better.

That momentum carried into the Masters 1000 swing, though not without a few bumps. He reached the Indian Wells semifinals, beating Cameron Norrie in the quarterfinals before losing to Daniil Medvedev. At the Miami Open, he beat rising Brazilian João Fonseca in their first career meeting, then was upset in the third round by Sebastian Korda. However, even with the loss, Alcaraz sat at 17-2 on the season, which still placed him firmly among the tour’s best heading into the clay swing.

Alcaraz’s Wrist Injury

Alcaraz’s season took a turn for the worse in April at the Barcelona Open, where he won his first-round match in straight sets, but then withdrew from the tournament immediately afterward. He cited a right wrist injury that was later identified as tenosynovitis, or inflammation of the tissue surrounding the tendon.

A few days later, he also withdrew from the Madrid Open to continue treatment, and the injury ultimately cost him the French Open, Wimbledon, and the Canadian Open. This injury kept Alcaraz off the ATP Tour for just over four months of action, sidelining him for two of the season’s biggest tournaments.

Despite the injury, Alcaraz’s ranking held up remarkably well. By the time he confirmed his comeback plans in August, he was still ranked world No. 2, behind only Jannik Sinner, despite not having played a competitive match since April. The biggest remaining question was whether his on-court performance could reach the same peak from the start of the season.

Comeback At the US Open

Alcaraz’s long-awaited comeback happened at the US Open, a tournament he entered as defending champion. Playing his first competitive match in over four months, he beat Roman Safiullin in straight sets before advancing past Jaime Faria, Wu Yibing, and Tommy Paul.

His run ultimately ended in the quarterfinals, where he lost to eventual finalist Ben Shelton in the latest conclusion to a match in US Open history. In his return, Alcaraz fell just short of a deep run in Flushing Meadows, not a bad result for his first tournament back on tour. Afterward, he criticized the ATP Tour’s busy schedule, saying he wants to manage his body differently going forward.

“Seeing how tight the calendar is, obviously I don’t want to have this break because of an injury. But in the future, I'm gonna take some breaks, some long breaks… and start missing some tournaments because it's impossible to play them all,” Alcaraz said at the US Open.

Finishing the Season Strong

Despite the nearly five-month gap, Alcaraz’s season singles record stands at 27-4 as he comfortably holds the world No. 3 spot. He defended his Japan Open title on Tuesday, beating Jiri Lehecka 7-6(4), 6-4 in the final and claiming his first title since returning from injury. His year includes three titles, a major championship, and a Career Grand Slam, still one of the best resumes on tour, even after missing nearly a third of the season.

Alcaraz’s win in Tokyo sets him up for a strong finish to the season, where he stands a legitimate chance of reaching No. 1 by year-end. He’ll be carrying a fresh title and renewed confidence into the Shanghai Masters, where he’s chasing his first crown in a draw that’s missing world No. 1 Jannik Sinner.

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