Carlos Alcaraz made headlines when he claimed he would play less tournaments going forward after missing four and a half months with a wrist injury.

The Spaniard returned to singles action at the US Open, where he has breezed to the quarter finals of the Grand Slam with very little fuss.

“In the future, I’m going to take some breaks,” said Alcaraz after defeating Jaime Faria in the second round of the New York Grand Slam. Maybe not four months, but one month, two months, missing some tournaments, because it’s impossible to play them all.”

Many thought ATP 500 events and select Masters tournaments would be the first to be removed from Alcaraz’s schedule, with Sam Querrey and John Isner suggesting he could miss events in Miami and Canada.

It might surprise some fans to see which 2027 tournament Alcaraz has signed up to first then, as it is not one of the biggest, or most prestigious on the ATP Tour.

More Carlos Alcaraz news

Alcaraz has been confirmed to play the Rotterdam Open next year, which takes place indoors in February, following the culmination of the Australian Open.

The ATP 500 tournament, which boasts former Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek as its tournament director, confirmed the news via their social media.

They wrote: “First indoor title. First Rotterdam trophy. He couldn’t be there in 2026. Now he’s coming back. CARLOS ALCARAZ. ROTTERDAM. 2027.”

Alcaraz was set to play the tournament this year, but his run to the Australian Open title saw him withdraw from the indoor competition.

The star did, however, play the tournament in 2025, which saw him lift the title for the first time in his career.

That was the first time he had played the Dutch tournament, but it is certainly surprising to see him back in the fold, particularly after his recent comments about a more limited schedule.

The tournament not only comes swiftly after the Australian Open, but it takes place right before the Middle Eastern swing, which includes events in Dubai and Qatar.

Those tournaments tend to be very lucrative for the likes of Alcaraz, and Jannik Sinner, with both players receiving an eye-watering $1.2 million for playing the ATP 500 tournament this year.

With Alcaraz very unlikely to turn that incredible sum of money down, he could be set for a very hectic schedule to start the year off, which goes against his intenions to take months off at a time.

Ahead of the clay court swing, which is one of the busiest parts of the ATP Tour season, Alcaraz could have already played up to five tournaments.