Carlos Alcaraz’s decision to pull out of his planned comeback event in Cincinnati next week has thrown a cloud over his hopes of defending his title at the US Open and now a former finalist at Flushing Meadows has suggested the Spaniard should ‘count out’ playing in New York.
Alcaraz has not played a competitive match since injuring his wrist at the Barcelona Open in April and he was stepping up his recovery in the hope of playing in the final Grand Slam of the year.
Now that dream is hanging by a thread, with the prospect of playing best-of-five-set tennis in his comeback event a big risk as he looks to ensure his wrist is ready to cope with the demands of long matches.
Now 1997 US Open finalist Rusedski has suggested Alcaraz would be wise to delay his comeback, even if it means sitting out the rest of the 2026 season.
Wrist injuries are the big fear for tennis players and Rusedski believes the seven-time Grand Slam champion would be risking a bigger long-term problem if he tries to play in New York.
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“You can count the US Open out now. There is no way he’s gonna play in the US Open if he’s missing Cincinnati,” said Rusedski on the latest edition of his podcast.
“I was questioning where he was at a bit when we saw him hitting with juniors, but it looked pretty good with the movement, the strike, the new hairdo. Everything was looking good. Then we get this news.
“If this was just a little bit of inflammation, a little problem, he would be back by now. It’s something a little bit more serious. We don’t know if he’s had a tear, whether it’s something more, whether he’s had a little bit of surgery in there. Who knows what’s happened?
“And the only people who know are Carlos Alcaraz and the rest of his team. But this is taking a lot longer than we thought.
“I think take as long as you need to, even if he misses the rest of the year and then starts up again in 2027.”
Rusedski pointed to the ongoing injury nightmare being endured by former world No 4 Jack Draper as a warning to Alcaraz, as he suggested the Spaniard has to think about his long-term health.
“Jack Draper has had a nightmare,” added Rusedski. “He was in tears in the third set early on because the shoulder’s not right and bruise bone is affecting him. This is devastating. He’s been nearly away from the tour for a year and he can’t get over it.
“And I think Alcaraz should be thinking to himself, I don’t want to be in a situation like that. I’m going to take as long as I need. I’m not going to rush it back.
“I think this might take a little bit longer and we might not see him this year. You want to be 110 per-cent sure with the body, make sure everything’s right with risk, because risks are difficult things to manage. So my view is, the US Open is not happening. You don’t play Cincinnati, that’s done. Will we see him when it comes to indoor season? Who knows?”
Alcaraz has yet to speak on camera about his injury issues and his hopes of playing at the US Open, with a decision on whether he plays in New York likely to be made a few days before the tournament.
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