Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from the Cincinnati Open, ending hopes that he would finally make his return to competition after four months sidelined with a wrist injury. The news has left fans heartbroken and sparked fresh concerns about whether the Spaniard will be ready for the US Open later this month.
Alcaraz has not played since retiring mid-match at the Barcelona Open in April, with the extended absence already costing him the French Open, Wimbledon, and Montreal. He had been listed for Cincinnati for weeks, and reports from Spain had suggested as recently as mid-July that his wrist was “completely healed,” raising optimism that the tournament would mark his comeback.
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Tournament organizers confirmed Carlos Alcaraz’s withdrawal on X on Tuesday, August 4, writing:
“Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from the Cincinnati Open. Wishing all the best to our 2025 champion in his recovery process. Can’t wait to welcome you next year!”
Fans were left heartbroken by the news and quickly took to X (formerly Twitter) to share their disappointment, with one user writing:
“It hurts, and a lot, because it was about time. In the training videos, he looked good, with intensity, but we’ll have to wait a little longer. Good things come to those who wait, guys. The comeback will be incredible.”
“I can’t help but think of Thiem and Del Potro. I feel so bad for Carlos. I hope he gets better soon,” another wrote.
“Returning to the tour at a slam with no warmup tourney… at least we completed career grand slam in january, we’re taking something out of this year,” one user posted.
“This breaks my heart. I wanted to see him in Cincy 😢😢😢😢. He probably won’t play in NYC either. I don’t think his return to the court after several months away will be in 5-set matches,” another tweeted.
“Tennis always feels a bit emptier when Carlos is missing. Sending lots of encouragement hope for a speedy return, but without rushing,” one fan commented.
“Wrist injuries are so serious and need proper time to heal. Carlos being cautious is a good thing,” another wrote.
Carlos Alcaraz risks massive rankings drop if he pulls out of US Open
Carlos Alcaraz currently sits at World No. 2 in the live rankings with 8,160 points, holding only a slim advantage over Alexander Zverev, who is close behind on 8,090. While Zverev could overtake him with a strong run over the coming weeks, the bigger threat to Alcaraz’s ranking comes at the US Open.
As the defending champion in New York, Alcaraz has 2,000 ranking points to defend. If his wrist injury forces him to miss the tournament, those points would disappear from his total, leaving him with around 6,160 points.
Zverev, meanwhile, has far fewer points to defend from last year’s US Open, meaning he would be well placed to reclaim the World No. 2 ranking even without producing a deep run.
Edited by Pritha Ghosh
