Alcaraz Out 114 Days; US Open Title Defense in Doubt
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- Carlos Alcaraz has missed 114 days since withdrawing from the Barcelona Open in April with tenosynovitis, an inflammation of the tendon sheath in his wrist, forcing him out of the French Open, Wimbledon, and the upcoming Cincinnati Open.
- Alcaraz completed the career Grand Slam at January's Australian Open by beating Novak Djokovic for his seventh major, and had been averaging two Grand Slam titles per year — a pace that, if sustained, would tie Djokovic's all-time mark of 24 by 2034 when he turns 31.
- Wrist injuries ended the careers of former Grand Slam champions Dominic Thiem and Juan Martin del Potro, with Grand Slam physiotherapist James Ross explaining that the joint's poor blood supply makes healing slow and rebuilding strength difficult to predict.
- Alcaraz's competitive return remains at least weeks away after he resumed training in Murcia this week, meaning he will carry nearly five months of rust into the US Open — or potentially miss the tournament where he is defending champion.
- Modern greats have largely avoided such extended absences: Djokovic has never missed more than a single major, Sinner has played every Grand Slam since his 2019 debut, and Federer didn't miss two consecutive Slams until age 38.
- Andy Murray and 1996 Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek both stressed the psychological barrier of trusting a wrist post-injury, with Murray noting the mental difficulty of letting go of the initial pain when returning.
Why it matters: Alcaraz's 114-day absence threatens the most prolific trajectory in modern men's tennis: averaging two majors per year had him on pace for Djokovic's 24-Slam record by age 31, but a tendon injury notorious for slow healing now puts three consecutive Grand Slams — and a US Open title defense less than a month away — at risk.
