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Concerns are growing that Carlos Alcaraz won’t be able to defend his US Open title after his latest setback, but his team remain optimistic that he will compete at the season-ending Grand Slam.

The seven-time Grand Slam winner was expected to make his long-awaited return from injury at next week’s Cincinnati Open, but organisers confirmed earlier this week that the Spaniard won’t defend his title this year as he still has not fully recovered from his wrist injury.

With the US Open starting on 30 August, many believe Alcaraz won’t risk heading to Flushing Meadows without any match practice under his belt as he has not played any competitive matches at the Barcelona Open.

However, Alcaraz and his camp have not given up hope as La Verdad reports: “Those close to the tennis player from Murcia are optimistic and see the prodigy from El Palmar competing in New York. But this doesn’t mean he will.

“Carlitos himself, along with his own determination, Samuel Lopez, his family, doctors, physiotherapists, and his large team, will make the final decision as the tournament progresses.”

The 23-year-old’s last official encounter was on the clay at the ATP 500 event in Barcelona on 14 April while his last hard-court match was a third-round defeat at the Miami Open on 22 March.

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The Cincinnati Open is the last big event ahead of the US Open with the ATP Masters 1000 tournament running from 13-23 August and most big-name players usually take a break the week before a Grand Slam.

But there is one tournament on the calendar the week before the hard-court major at Flushing Meadows and that is the Winston-Salem Open with the event running from 23-29 August in North Carolina.

La Verdad added: “His team had already considered the possibility of him taking part in the ATP 250 in Winston-Salem to test himself and see how his body responds – and, above all, how the area affected by the injury holds up.

“It would also give him a chance to get back into the swing of things and compete in the odd match against other players to see how the man who, until a few months ago, was the best player on the planet is faring. That option is still on the table.”

As things stand, the reigning world No 2’s name does not appear on the entry list, but Winston-Salem Open organiser have four wildcards available and they would love to have someone like Alcaraz competing.

World No 22 Luciano Darderi is currently the highest-ranked player in the field with Alejandro Tabilo, Arthur Rinderknech, Ignacio Buse and Arthur Fery also set to feature.

The post Carlos Alcaraz plan B emerges ahead of US Open – ‘That option is still on the table’ appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz has now endured his longest time away from the ATP Tour due to the wrist injury the star suffered at the Barcelona Open in April.

The star has been out for 151 days, which has forced him out of Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and three Masters tournaments on the ATP Tour calendar.

Alcaraz has confirmed his absence will be even longer too, as he has withdrawn from what was supposed to be his return event at the Cincinnati Open.

There are whispers of Alcaraz taking a wildcard at the Winston-Salem Open, but his most likely return date will likely be the US Open at the end of August.

Alcaraz making his return at Grand Slam level is not ideal, particularly due to what Andy Murray said after he returned from a wrist injury.

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The Scot suffered injuries in both wrists during his career and he said it took him a while to get over them, even though he felt fully fit before heading to the court.

“Wrists aren’t easy,” said Murray toward the end of his career. “When the ball is low you know you really have to use your wrist to get the ball up and down, or when the ball is coming fast and quite high you need to use your wrist a lot to bring the ball down.

“It’s difficult when you try to come back [from a wrist injury], because the pain that you feel when you initially hurt it, mentally it’s very difficult to let go of.”

Alcaraz’s wrist injury could also cause repeat issues throughout his career, according to James Ross, who works a physiotherapist at Grand Slams.

“The biggest risk of injury is a previous injury – if you have had it once, you are more likely to have it in the future”, Ross explained in an interview with BBC Sport.

“If a player can get back over a period of a few months and they don’t have a reoccurrence, generally they will be ok,” he said. But some things can become chronic and the pressure of the sport to come back, earn money by playing, and keep your ranking points, is a risk.”

Alcaraz will have plenty of people giving him advice about his wrist, but one thing his fans should be pleased with, is he clearly has the right team around him.

It should be considered a good thing that Alcaraz has withdrawn from the Cincinnati Open, because it means he is listening to his body rather than his desire to return to the court.

The post Andy Murray has already warned Carlos Alcaraz what will happen when he returns from his wrist injury appeared first on Tennis365.

Alex Eala has entered the Canadian Open in the form of her life and her progress through the Masters tournament has opened up after some surprises in the second round.

The 21-year-old found her way past Alycia Parks in the second round, after defeating the American in a three set battle to get a semblance of revenge on the star for knocking her out of the Australian Open earlier this year.

Eala won 6-1, 4-6, 6-2 to set up a third round clash against Caty McNally, but it could have been much more daunting for the Filipina star.

While McNally will provide a tough test for Eala, she is currently ranked world No 70 in the WTA Tour rankings, 50 places below the 21-year-old.

Eala would have expected to face Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova, but McNally stunned the Czech star to topple her in straight sets in Toronto.

The Filipina star is 0-10 against Czech players at WTA level, so she will surely be delighted to not have to play Noskova in the next round.

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The star will also be buoyed by several other results in the second round of the Canadian Open too, as 21st seed Marie Bouzkova and 22nd seed Barbora Krejcikova also crashed out in the second round.

Both women were in Eala’s side of the draw, so she could have played both later on in the competition.

Eight other seeds dropped out of the second round too, with Sorana Cirstea, Maja Chwalinska, Emma Navarro, Jelena Ostapenko, Clara Tauson, Donna Vekic, and Katerina Siniakova also exiting the competition.

Eala’s most likely route through the Canadian Open is now Belinda Bencic in the fourth round, Coco Gauff in the quarter finals, Elena Rybakina in the semi finals, and Aryna Sabalenka in the finals.

While that is an incredibly difficult pathway to win a title, Eala has already proved she can beat the very best on the WTA Tour this season.

Eala has beaten seven top 10 players already in the 2026 season, including Gauff and Rybakina, and she proved at the Washington Open that she could surpass multiple top-ranked players.

The 21-year-old defeated Elina Svitolina, Naomi Osaka, and Jessica Pegula back-to-back to win her very first WTA title at the North American event.

Besides, Eala is now in the top 20 of the WTA Tour rankings and her current form dictates that she is one of the elite players in the women’s game.

Her victory against Parks was her ninth victory in 10 matches, dating back to the Washington Open and Wimbledon, where she reached the fourth round.

The post Alex Eala’s chances of winning the Canadian Open boosted after latest results appeared first on Tennis365.

Tennis greatness is currently judged using a Grand Slam count, but two legends of the sport have insisted that gauge is not entirely reliable.

When the era dominated by Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic is judged, the three most successful male players of all-time will be judged on the number of Grand Slam titles they have won.

Djokovic has been declared the winner of the greatest rivalry in the history of the game as his 24 major titles put him ahead of Nadal on 22 and Federer on 20.

The primary reason why Djokovic is continuing his career after he toasted his 39th birthday last May is to try and take his Grand Slam tally to 25, which would move him one head of Margaret Court in the all time list.

Yet the reality is the number Djokovic could and should be chasing could be well beyond 30 if the current landscape in tennis was in place in the 1970s and 80s.

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Back then, many of the top female and male players did not compete at the Australian Open and that had a two-fold impact on the Grand Slam records that are not viewed as the ultimate milestones in the sport.

A glance at the appearance records for many of the game’s great highlights how their Grand Slam records could have reached a very different conclusion if they had played more often at the major events.

Their absence means the 11 wins for Court at the Australian Open put a slightly different perspective on her dominance in her home Slam, with many of the game’s biggest names opting out of making the long trip Down Under at the start of the year in favour of playing more lucrative events in America and Europe.

Tennis greats Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert are great examples of players who opted out of playing at the Australian Open at a time when they were comfortably the best two players in the women’s game.

“We didn’t play in Australia for a long time,” said Navratilova, who won 18 Grand Slam singles titles. “Back in our day, playing on the women’s tour and trying to build that up was more important than playing in Australia, but all we hear about now is the Grand Slam record.

“The reality is, it was different when we were playing. If Chrissie (Evert) and I had played every year in Australia and also at the French Open for me, maybe I would have more Slams now, but it was different then.”

A glance at Navratilova’s record confirms she missed 12 editions of the Australian Open over the course of her career, with the number of titles she could have won in that period highlighted by the seven straight singles titles she won at the event from 1982.

Then at the French Open, Navratilova was also missing for 12 tournament in Paris, with the 24 Grand Slams she was absent for highlighting how many she could now have.

Evert also has an interesting record in Slams, with her record of 18 Grand Slam wins impacted by absence from the Australian Open on 12 occasions.

She also missed six French Open tournaments in her career, leaving her with 18 missed Grand Slams that could have substantially boosted her final total.

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It wasn’t just female players who missed out on additional Grand Slam chances, as seven-time Grand Slam winner John McEnroe did not play in ten Australian Open’s during his career and he also failed to make an appearance in six French Opens, with his focus always on Wimbledon and the US Open.

McEnroe’s great rival Bjorn Borg played at the Australian Open once in his career, while American greats Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi missed numerous editions of the opening Slam of the year.

While Djokovic’s Grand Slam battle with Federer and Nadal was compelling, the record of 25 Grand Slam titles he is looking to create now could have been well over 30 and maybe even 35 if Navratilova and Evert played in this era.

READ MORE: Patrick Mouratoglou hits back at Novak Djokovic claims as he ‘completely disagrees’ with snipes

The post Why the final Grand Slam record Novak Djokovic is chasing has a hollow ring around it appeared first on Tennis365.

Jannik Sinner has been selective with which tournaments he plays since being dumped out of the Roland Garros second round by Juan Manuel Cerundolo.

Sinner played an intensive period on the European clay court swing, winning Masters events in Monte Carlo, Madrid, and Rome, ahead of the French Grand Slam.

That was ultimately his downfall as fatigue hit in against the Argentine, despite the Italian being two sets and a break up in his second round match.

Since, Sinner has only played Wimbledon and he is yet to start his North American hardcourt swing, after deciding to withdraw from the Canadian Open.

Sinner spent four hours at an Italian clinic in what was reported as a routine check-up ahead of his appearance at the Cincinnati Open, which begins on August 11th, but that might not be the case according to a new report.

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Corriere Della Sera is reporting that Sinner’s latest check up on his knee was not routine, and he has been suffering with a slight niggle in that area.

The Italian is set to undergo a second check up with Professor Gianluca Melegati, who has worked with the AC Milan football team, as well as the Italian rugby team.

This will happen just days before Sinner is set to jet off to Ohio for the Cincinnati Open, although it is not definite that the star will play the event.

Sinner and his team are open to skipping the event, which would give him no preparation tournament ahead of his appearance at the US Open at the end of August.

The Italian reached the final of the Cincinnati Open, so he could lose 650 ranking points if he decides not play the Masters tournament.

There is good news for fans of Sinner, though.

According to the report, however, Sinner’s appearance at the US Open is not currently under threat.

Of course, Sinner has been here before and, even if he does miss the Cincinnati Open, that’s not to say he won’t perform well at the US Open.

The world No 1 arrived at Wimbledon this year without playing a competitive match on the grass and that worked out pretty well for the Italian.

Outside of a scare in the first round against Miomir Kecmanovic, Sinner was near-perfect at the London event as he won the Grand Slam for a second year in a row.

The Italian find his way past the likes of Alexander Zverev, Novak Djokovic, Jan-Lennard Struff, Nuno Borges, Jenson Brooksby, and Shintaro Mochizuki.

It would not be an ideal start to the US Open, but Sinner has proved he can cut it at Grand Slam level without preparation.

The post Worrying Jannik Sinner update emerges right before the Cincinnati Open appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz may have had a disappointing few days after he decided to abandon his plans to return to action at this month’s Cincinnati Masters, but he has been given a boost following a shock defeat for Alexander Zverev in Canada.

French Open champion and Wimbledon finalist Zverev was a firm favourite to lift the ATP Masters 1000 title in Montreal, with world No 1 Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic and Alcaraz among the big-name absentees.

Yet the German slipped to a shock defeat in his opening match against Tallon Griekspoor, with the Dutchman coming through 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-4 to secure an impressive win.

“This is one of the most special [wins] I have had,” said Griekspoor. “I have had a very tough season, which is not easy. I have been very close to throwing the towel a couple of times. But I have been working harder and harder lately and reached quite a good level in training in the past couple of weeks.

“I felt like it was just a matter of time. This one is special, especially against a player like Sascha.”

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“We wish him the best with his recovery and look forward to welcoming him back to Cincinnati in the future.”

It was a third win for big-serving Griekspoor in his 12 matches against Zverev, with this latest victory ensuring the German will remain down in third place in the ATP Rankings after he slipped below Alcaraz last Monday.

Yet Zverev is certain to be at No 2 in the rankings by the time of the final Grand Slam of the year, with Alcaraz set to drop 1,000 off his record from last year’s Cincinnati tournament, where he lifted the title.

However, doubts remain over whether Alcaraz will be fit to defend his title in New York after he was forced to pull out of his planned comeback tournament at the Cincinnati Masters that gets underway this week.

While Alcaraz had made progress in his efforts to recover from a wrist injury sustained in the Barcelona Open back in April, his decision to step away from a return next week suggests he will need more time to recover.

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“Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from the Cincinnati Open,” read the official statement. “Wishing all the best to our 2025 champion in his recovery process. Can’t wait to welcome you next year.”

Tournament director Bob Moran added his comments on the news as he said: “We know Carlos is doing everything he can to get back to playing tournaments as soon as possible.”

Alcaraz’s ranking will collapse if he fails to make an appearance at the US Open, as the 2,000 points he won after beating Sinner in last year’s final will fall off his record.

That could see him drop out of the top four of the ATP Rankings if his closest rivals were to enjoy success at Flushing Meadows.

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The post Carlos Alcaraz handed a temporary rankings boost despite delaying his tennis comeback appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz’s absence from tennis will go on a little longer as the Spaniard has confirmed he will not be playing the Cincinnati Open this year.

Alcaraz has been out of action since the Barcelona Open, when he suffered a wrist injury in his first round match against Otto Virtanen.

The injury has forced him out Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and a whole host of Masters events, in what is now the longest the star has ever been missing from the ATP Tour.

While it might seem doom and gloom with Alcaraz’s latest withdrawal, there has been a positive update from a reknowned Spanish journalist.

On X, German Abril confirmed the real reason for Alcaraz’s withdrawal and suggested whether the star would now play the US Open at the end of August.

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“It’s a decision that was carefully thought out over time, not made overnight,” said Abril. “The recovery is progressing favorably, but by race times it would arrive very tight to compete in Cincy, and it’s about not taking any risks at any step, especially with the US Open so close on the calendar.

“I mentioned it a month ago. The idea was to reach Cincinnati, but the deadlines would be set by his feelings and those of his team. That he doesn’t make it for Cincy doesn’t imply a step back in the recovery. It’s simply that the readjustment is on the right track, but it requires more time.”

It sounds like Alcaraz is still deep into his recovery, which is good news for tennis fans. The star has been spotted on the court several times in the last few weeks and he has looked like he is reaching his full power.

The US Open will likely be Alcaraz’s next destination and it is a place that holds fond memories for the talented Spaniard.

The star claimed the first Grand Slam title of his career at Flushing Meadows in 2022, when he defeated Casper Ruud in the final.

Two of his seven Grand Slam titles have come at the US Open as he subsequently won the title again last year when he defeated Jannik Sinner in four sets in the final.

His other appearances at the tournament have seen him reach the semi finals, the quarter finals, and be knocked out in the second round of the competition.

Alcaraz will be defending the full 2000 points at the US Open this year, so if he does not have a deep run in New York he could stumble down the ATP Tour rankings.

The post The reason why Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the Cincinnati Open has emerged appeared first on Tennis365.

Alex Eala has made a massive jump in the Race to the WTA Finals, while Aryna Sabalenka has overtaken Mirra Andreeva by the narrowest of margins.

The North American hard-court season got underway last week at the Washington DC Open, and Eala captured the title at the WTA 500 tournament.

The attention of the tennis world is now focused on the Canadian Open, with the WTA 1000 event taking place in Toronto this year.

What is the Race to the WTA Finals?

The eight women who earn the most ranking points in the 2026 season will qualify for the season-ending WTA Finals, which will be held in Indian Wells, United States from 8 to 15 November.

If a current-year Grand Slam champion finishes between ninth and 20th in the Race, they will take the eighth and final qualification spot.

The prestigious tournament was initially due to be staged in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — which hosted the 2024 and 2025 editions — but the venue has been changed to the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

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Elena Rybakina is the reigning WTA Finals champion, with the Kazakh star having collected a record-breaking $5,235,000 for winning last year’s event.

The players who finish ninth and 10th will travel to Indian Wells as alternates and have the chance to take the place of any players who withdraw.

The latest Race to Indian Wells rankings

Sabalenka was second in the Race at the start of Toronto, but she moved a single point clear of Andreeva after winning her opening match on Tuesday.

However, Andreeva can reclaim top spot if she defeats Karolina Pliskova in her tricky opener on Wednesday.

Elena Rybakina remains in third position ahead of her first match in Toronto, with the two-time major winner’s last match a third round loss at Wimbledon.

Elina Svitolina’s second round victory at the WTA 1000 event has lifted her to fourth in the Race, with Jessica Pegula — who was a runner-up in Washington DC — dropping to fifth.

Karolina Muchova, who is not playing in Canada after undergoing surgery following her Wimbledon final defeat, has fallen to sixth place.

Linda Noskova and Coco Gauff remain seventh and eighth respectively ahead of their opening matches in Toronto.

Live WTA Race to Indian Wells (as of 5 August)

1) Aryna Sabalenka – 5,010 (+1)
2) Mirra Andreeva – 5,009 (-1)
3) Elena Rybakina – 4,627
4) Elina Svitolina – 4,289 (+2)
5) Jessica Pegula – 4,285 (-1)
6) Karolina Muchova – 4,270 (-1)
7) Linda Noskova – 3,674
8) Coco Gauff – 3,484
Cutoff
9) Marta Kostyuk – 3,275
10) Victoria Mboko – 2,393
11) Sorana Cirstea – 2,055
12) Iga Swiatek – 2,019
13) Diana Shnaider – 1,945 (+2)
14) Alex Eala – 1,887 (+11)
15) Iva Jovic – 1,872 (-2)

Iga Swiatek is still 12th after winning her first match since Wimbledon, and the six-time Grand Slam champion is over 1,400 points adrift of Gauff in the final qualification spot.

Eala‘s maiden career title in Washington DC has seen her soar 11 places to 14th in the Race ahead of her opener in Toronto.

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The post WTA Rankings Race To Indian Wells: Alex Eala soars as Aryna Sabalenka overtakes Mirra Andreeva appeared first on Tennis365.

Legendary coach Rick Macci issued a verdict that should worry Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s competitors as he spoke to Tennis365.

Since the start of 2024, Alcaraz and Sinner have captured 10 of the last 11 Grand Slam titles between them, with the pair claiming five each.

Alexander Zverev broke a streak of nine consecutive majors won by either Alcaraz or Sinner by securing his maiden Slam at the 2026 French Open.

Sinner defeated Zverev in the Wimbledon final last month to collect his fifth major. Alcaraz, who won his seventh Grand Slam title at the 2026 Australian Open, missed the last two majors due to a wrist injury.

Macci has coached five players who went on to become world No 1: Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Jennifer Capriati, Maria Sharapova and Andy Roddick.

In an exclusive interview, Tennis365 asked Macci if he thinks Sinner and Alcaraz will continue to dominate men’s tennis for the foreseeable future.

“Absolutely, it’s Alcaraz and Sinner — nobody is in their neighbourhood,” said the American. “Listen, anybody can beat anybody, because that’s pro tennis… but no, they’re a cut above, they’re at a totally different level.

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“And if Alcaraz’s wrist is fine, and if Sinner doesn’t have these recurring things that have happened with the heat, it’s the Big Two and then everybody else.

“When it’s all said and done, I could see both of them landing in rare air with Federer, Nadal and Djokovic. That’s how many Slams I feel are on the horizon.

“Alcaraz’s best surface is the one he’s playing on [at the time], so when you have that going for you, that’s a whole different situation.

“So, Alcaraz and Sinner — it’s nothing against any of the other players, it’s nothing against anybody else in the top 10 — it’s just that these two are generational talents. Especially Alcaraz.

“And this is something the world has never seen.”

Djokovic, Nadal and Federer make up the top three for the most men’s Grand Slam titles won in tennis history, with the legendary trio having secured 24, 22 and 20 majors respectively.

From Federer’s first major title at Wimbledon in 2003 to Djokovic’s most recent at the 2023 US Open, the Big Three won a staggering 66 of 81 Grand Slams between them.

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The post Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s rivals get ominous verdict that should worry them appeared first on Tennis365.

Jack Draper returned to action at the Canadian Open, but he suffered an emotional first round exit at the hands of Terence Atmane in Montreal.

The British star has endured a wretched time with injuries over the past 12 months, which has resulted in him playing very little throughout the 2026 season.

Draper missed much of the clay court swing and only played the Eastbourne Open on the grass. His North American swing started with him withdrawing from the Washington Open before receiving a wildcard for the Montreal event.

He looked pretty good against Atmane, who defeated him in an entertaining three set contest, but emotions got the best of the British star on court.

Draper looked to be crying during one changeover, which has caused many fans and pundits to worry about the former world No 4.

Following his exit from the Canadian Open, his upcoming doubles partner at the US Open, Jessica Pegula, has spoken about Draper’s unfortunate moment.

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Speaking in his pre-tournament press conference ahead of the Canadian Open in Toronto, the American said: “Last year, playing mixed doubles with Jack definitely helped my preparation.

“Being able to play three matches on Arthur Ashe helps because it’s a bit of a challenge, with a full crowd and a great atmosphere. Just getting out on the court and winning a few matches always gives you a bit of confidence , no matter what.

“You always hope it will help you in the singles matches. Obviously, you could lose in the first round and maybe it won’t do you much good. Last year, after a tough summer where I didn’t get very good results, it definitely helped me a lot and propelled me to have an excellent US Open and a very good Asian tour.

“But yes, Jack and I hardly spoke before; we barely knew each other. I literally don’t think we exchanged two words. It wasn’t intentional. I don’t feel like we moved in the same circles, for whatever reason. But now, I would say we’re friends and we keep in touch from time to time.”

Pegula was well aware of Draper’s issues on court and sent the British star a touching message.

“I know he’s been having some injury problems, and I saw today that he had a really tough day in his match in Montreal,” said the world No 3.

“I don’t know if we’re going to play; we’re supposed to play. Obviously, I know he’s not at his best, so we’ll see how it goes. But yes, I’ve always been a big fan, and it’s been fun watching him play. He’s a really nice guy, so I enjoy playing with him.

“Yes, it was a little strange how our personalities, in a way, didn’t mesh, but at the same time, they did. It was a little odd. So it was fun, and he made a lot of funny comments, so I hope he recovers soon and we can see him back on the court.”

Draper and Pegula played the US Open mixed doubles last year and reached the semi finals, before they were beaten by Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud.

The post Jessica Pegula reacts to Jack Draper’s emotional exit from the Canadian Open appeared first on Tennis365.