Carlos Alcaraz believes he can win the US Open despite his four-month injury hiatus, as he labelled Jannik Sinner’s shock withdrawal from the New York major as ‘weird’.
The Spaniard has been out of action for four months after picking up a wrist injury during his opening match at the Barcelona Open in April.
Having opted out of both the French Open and Wimbledon, as well as the Masters 1000 events in Montreal and Cincinnati, Alcaraz claims he is now ready to ‘give his all’ at the final Grand Slam of the season.
As a result of his lengthy lay-off, he has dropped more than 5,000 ranking points, meaning he has slipped to world No 3 for the first time since the start of 2025, having been leapfrogged by Alexander Zverev.
In recent weeks, the Spaniard has been ramping up his preparations, increasing his intensity during full practice sets, including sessions with Dane Holger Rune.
Alcaraz is due to begin his title defence on Monday against Roman Safiullin – with the Russian winning their only previous meeting, at the Paris Masters in 2023.
During his pre-tournament press conference, the world No 3 remained realistic but cautiously optimistic about his chances.
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“Right now, honestly, I hate losing. It’s clear that I’m here to give my all,” stated the Spaniard.
But for me the most important thing is to come out of this tournament healthy, to have been able to compete and train with players of this level and to see that my pulse and body are holding up.
I don’t want to set any limits for myself. I don’t know if it will be the first round, the second round, or the final. I don’t want to think about the result, but about the journey we’ve taken and everything we’re doing.
Above all, I want to get on the court, have fun, and feel good. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time: feel good on a tennis court.”
“It is possible [to win it],” he added.
”I think a lot of people have shown it. [Roger] Federer, [Rafael] Nadal, many people have shown that you can win a Grand Slam after having been injured for a long time or having had a very serious injury. So we’re going to try to hold on to that belief that I can too.”
Alcaraz’s title hopes were no doubt boosted after world No 1 and reigning Wimbledon champion Sinner withdrew from the event due to lingering knee discomfort.
The Italian has won five Masters 1000 titles and, more recently, lifted the Wimbledon trophy this season, but is set to lose 1,300 ranking points as a result of his withdrawal.
Sinner is due to return to the tour at the Beijing Open, which begins on September 30.
When asked about the decision, Alcaraz labelled the situation as ‘weird’, but pointed the finger firmly at the tight scheduling of the ATP Tour.
“Well, it is the same for everybody, that someone like Jannik is missing this tournament, a Grand Slam,” commented the Spaniard.
“But, you know, it’s kind of weird. We are not going to see each other for like six months now, seven months. It’s kind of a weird situation.
“I wish him all the best. Hopefully he has a quick and really great recovery, and we see him back on court at his best once again.
“But I’m going to see a lot of players are having problems with their bodies, and with the injuries I think that means how tight everything is in the calendar and in the year, but you know hopefully we’re going to see Jannik back on court better than ever.”
Last season, Alcaraz defeated Sinner 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 to win his second US Open title.
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