Grand Slam Finalist Weighs In on Carlos Alcaraz’s ‘Complicated’ Wrist Injury Amid Imminent Return: “Tennis World Needs Him”

Carlos Alcaraz‘s name is on the entry list for the Cincinnati Open, the main draw of which is set to start on August 13. The Spaniard attended the FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina and was spotted wearing a brace on his right wrist.

Wrist injuries are considered career-threatening because there are several former top players, including Grand Slam champions like Juan Martin del Potro and Dominic Thiem, whose careers were derailed by wrist injuries. Although Alcaraz never shared the details of his injury, he won’t be rushing his comeback, said Mark Philippoussis, a two-time Grand Slam finalist, during his interview with Tennis365.

Look, I hope he comes back healthy. The tennis world needs him. I love watching him, he’s incredible for the game. A Grand Slam champion, he’s been No. 1 in the world. And I just hope he can get healthy. Of course, he’s going to be someone that’s not going to rush the process. But also, when it’s to do with the wrist, it’s complicated. So, I’m sure he’s doing everything he can, and hopefully he can be back soon.

Alcaraz withdrew from the next Masters 1000 on the calendar, the Canadian Open. He was last seen in action in the opening round of the Barcelona Open. Since handing the walkover to Tomas Machac, Alcaraz went on to skip both the French Open and Wimbledon (he has lifted two titles in both events).

In Cincinnati, if Alcaraz plays, he will be competing as the defending champion. Last year, the seven-time Grand Slam champion received a walkover from his arch-rival Jannik Sinner in the final.

Before suffering the injury, Alcaraz played three finals. After defeating Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open to become the youngest man in the Open Era to complete the Career Grand Slam, the Spaniard beat Arthur Fils in the Doha Open. In Indian Wells and Miami, he failed to reach the final, but reached the title clash of the Monte-Carlo Masters. Sinner did not let him defend his title.

Adriano Panatta believes Jannik Sinner doesn’t have any competition without Carlos Alcaraz

While Carlos Alcaraz was recovering from the wrist injury, his arch-rival Jannik Sinner was clinching titles one after the other. After completing the Sunshine Double and defeating Alcaraz in the Monte Carlo final, the Italian ace won the remaining two Masters 1000s on clay (Madrid and Rome).

Then, after a shock second-round exit in Paris, Sinner defended his title at Wimbledon with a four-set win over Alexander Zverev. It was his sixth title of the season. Amid his dominance, 1976 French Open champion Adriano Panatta is missing the fierce on-court rivalry and can’t wait for Alcaraz’s return.

Right now, it isn’t, and it couldn’t be. By winning his second Wimbledon, Sinner has shown he is simply too strong for everyone. He fended off Zverev – who had meanwhile won in Paris and climbed to No. 2 in the rankings – handing the German his tenth consecutive defeat. Sport – not just tennis – needs fierce rivalries to be as compelling as possible.

Adriano Panatta told Corriere della Sera

Sinner is set to play in Montreal next to chase his seventh consecutive Masters 1000s. He has a winning streak of 34 matches in Masters (Sinner won the Paris Masters last year).

The five-time Grand Slam champion won at the Canadian Open in 2023 but ended up skipping it last year. After handing the walkover to Alcaraz in the Cincinnati final, the 24-year-old failed to defend his title at the US Open, losing in four sets to the Murcia native.

Also read: Italian Tennis Icon Calls Jannik Sinner One of the ‘Best Servers in History’ After Wimbledon Title Defense