The Cincinnati Open organizers confirmed Alcaraz would not be able to defend his title. Tournament director Bob Moran said, "We know Carlos is doing everything he can to return to play. We wish him a speedy recovery and hope to welcome Carlos to Cincinnati in the future".

Alcaraz has not competed since the Barcelona Open in April. The wrist injury has forced the player to successively miss Roland Garros, the entire grass court season, including Wimbledon, and now the Cincinnati Open.

Carlos Alcaraz poses with the Rookwood cup after defeating Jannik Sinner in the Cincinnati Open final at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, US, on 18/8/2025. *Reuters*

Many had anticipated Alcaraz's comeback at Cincinnati following images and videos on social media showing him back in training. However, the 23-year-old player's team decided to prioritize the recovery process rather than risk competing before reaching peak physical condition.

Alcaraz is currently still on the entry list for the US Open, a Grand Slam where he is the defending champion. Cincinnati is considered a crucial warm-up for the event at Flushing Meadows; therefore, the absence of competitive hard court matches will undoubtedly make the Spanish player's title defense more challenging.

Continuously missing tournaments also brings several consequences for Alcaraz. Firstly, he will lose 1,000 ATP points from his Cincinnati championship last year. After consistently dropping points due to inactivity since the clay court season, the Spanish player continues to fall in the rankings.

Earlier this week, Alcaraz temporarily surpassed Alexander Zverev to regain the world number two position due to differences in their point protection schedules. However, after the Canada Open and Cincinnati Open, Zverev is projected to reclaim the world number two spot and establish a significant lead, making it highly probable that Alcaraz will lose his second seed position at the US Open.

If that occurs, the defending champion risks facing strong opponents early in the tournament, rather than only encountering top seeds in later rounds. Returning to a Grand Slam after four months of inactivity is already a significant challenge, and Alcaraz's journey could now become even more arduous.

The race for a spot at the ATP Finals in Turin has also become more challenging for Alcaraz. Jannik Sinner and Zverev currently hold a substantial lead in the year-to-date standings, while Flavio Cobolli is only 620 points behind Alcaraz. Continuously missing matches and dropping points at this stage will significantly affect Alcaraz's position for the remainder of the season and into 2027.

Before his injury, Alcaraz had a record of 22 wins and three losses, along with two titles in the 2026 season. The seven-time Grand Slam champion's biggest goal now is to recover in time to appear at the US Open, where he will begin his title defense campaign with more questions than ever before.

Vy Anh