On Thursday, August 20th, Carlos Alcaraz announced that he was returning to play in the 2026 US Open. He did so through an Instagram post with journalist Fabrizio Romano. In the post, the Spanish phenom showed off his dedicated US Open kit from Nike with the caption “HERE WE GO.”
In an attached video, Alcaraz said to the camera, “Estoy de vuelta” [I’m back] and then “Here we go!”
Alcaraz injured his right wrist on April 14, 2026, during his first-round match at the Barcelona Open. He finished and won in straight sets (6-4, 6-2) against Otto Virtanen but pulled out of the tournament the next day.
The ongoing wrist issue sidelined him for several months, forcing the No. 2 player to miss several major events, including the French Open, Wimbledon, and the Cincinnati Open.
Alcaraz’s Instagram post was warmly received by tennis fans with millions of likes and thousands of comments. Serena Williams even publicly expressed her excitement in a comment, as did the official US Open and Laver Cup accounts.
Alcaraz also posted “HERE WE GO!” on X alongside a waving hand emoji and an American flag emoji.
How Will Alcaraz Perform at the US Open?
It is difficult to predict how Alcaraz might perform at the 2026 US Open given his prolonged absence from the sport, especially his lack of competitive play at a grass tournament this season.
The 23-year-old’s last ATP match on grass was over a year ago on July 13, 2025, when he lost against Jannik Sinner in four sets at the Wimbledon men’s final. There is also a potential match fitness issue given the Grand Slam tournament’s arduous best-of-five set structure.
Some Have Criticized Alcaraz’s US Open Return
There was some mild criticism online over the idea of Alcaraz returning to competition at a Grand Slam tournament, with retired player Andy Roddick suggesting he should probably skip this one.
Upon the news of Alcaraz’s official return, Roddick retracted the sentiment on his Served podcast, saying, “For him to play this, I have to think that the risk of further injury is next to nothing … This is great, this is such a win for tennis. Worst case scenario was there was no Sinner and Alcaraz; that’s a nightmare.”
Is Alcaraz Expected to Play Mixed Doubles at the US Open?
Alcaraz is expected to play mixed doubles at the 2026 US Open as well, but his official participation is not yet confirmed. He competed last year with Emma Raducanu, who is missing this year’s tournament due to a stress fracture injury.
Following her response to his Instagram return post, Alcaraz is rumored to potentially play mixed doubles alongside Serena Williams, who received a wildcard spot.
