Carlos Alcaraz’s return at this year’s US Open is one of the biggest talking points of the entire tennis season, with many wondering what the Spaniard will be like at the Grand Slam.
Alcaraz has not played since April, when he suffered a wrist injury at the Barcelona Open, forcing him out of the Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
The star has never spent a longer time out, but he is still one of the favourites to win the US Open, such is his level when he hits a tennis court.
With no Jannik Sinner at the US Open either, Alcaraz will be hoping to hit the ground running and return to winning ways almost instantly at Grand Slam level.
Patrick McEnroe, speaking to ESPN, believes Alcaraz needs to get through his first two matches at the Grand Slam in order to earn his favourite tag.
Speaking about the open field at the US Open this year, Patrick McEnroe dubbed the 2026 tournament as a “golden opportunity” for the chasing pack, including the likes of Ben Shelton.
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The former Grand Slam champion added: “Obviously if Alcaraz comes back and gets through a few matches, looks good, he’ll quickly become the favorite.
“I mean, he’s the favorite right now, but he’d quickly become a bigger favorite. There’s no doubt the fact he hasn’t played since the spring, with Sinner out, this is a monster opportunity.”
Alcaraz is the second seed at the US Open this year, behind only Alexander Zverev.
The star has instant pressure on him upon his return, as he won the tournament in 2025. That means he’s defending the full 2000 points at Flushing Meadows.
If he suffers an early exit, he will suffer a severe tumble down the rankings, kicking off his return to the sport in the worst possible way.
In order to get up to speed at Flushing Meadows, Alcaraz has also signed up to play the US Open Mixed Doubles alongside multi-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams.
Williams and Alcaraz are set to play Lloyd Glasspool and Erin Routliffe in their first match of the US Open Mixed Doubles, and they will play the evening session on Tuesday, 25th August.
Alcaraz does not have much experience in the mixed doubles, although he did play the inaugural event alongside Emma Raducanu in 2025.
They were beaten in the first round by Jack Draper and Jessica Pegula, so they only played one match at the tournament, and Alcaraz will be hoping to have a deeper run alongisde Williams in order to gain more match practice ahead of the main draw.
