Alcaraz plans more in-season breaks after injury return — SkimNews
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- Carlos Alcaraz returned to the US Open after a four-month absence caused by a right wrist injury sustained at the Barcelona Open in April, advancing to the fourth round as defending champion with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 victory over Wu Yibing.
- Alcaraz said he intends to take more in-season breaks going forward, framing the decision as mental rather than physical — he wants to feel "well prepared" for Grand Slams and Masters 1000s and to "be mentally healthy."
- The 23-year-old told reporters the relentless calendar — "tournament after tournament after tournament" — sometimes costs him joy on court, and that he wants to "miss the tennis sometimes, miss the tours."
- Last year Alcaraz played 80 matches and was 22-3, capturing his seventh major title at the Australian Open before the wrist injury forced him out of competition.
- Alcaraz debuted a layered look — a white undershirt beneath his sleeveless top because the single shirt "was moving around too much" — and a new "shooting an arrow" celebration that his brothers chose over dancing.
Why it matters: As a 23-year-old defending Grand Slam champion with no ranking or financial pressure to skip events, Alcaraz publicly calling for breaks highlights how tournament overload can drain even the sport's biggest names — he said the grind has left him sometimes playing without joy.
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