Mats Wilander Backs Carlos Alcaraz to Play ‘Best Tennis of His Career’ at US Open Despite Return From Injury Hiatus

Carlos Alcaraz will be making his much-awaited return to singles at the US Open, which starts on August 30. But he has already played his first official match since his mid-match retirement in the opening round of the Barcelona Open because of a wrist injury.

In the mixed doubles event, Alcaraz paired up with none other than the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion Serena Williams. Even though Alcaraz will be entering the singles event without any match practice in singles, former player Mats Wilander backed him to play the best tennis of his career, but only if he wins the first three matches.

I don’t know who Alcaraz will face in the first two rounds, but if you give him three matches, he’ll stay in the tournament and might play the best tennis of his career.

Mats Wilander told Eurosport

His arch-rival Jannik Sinner won’t be in action at Flushing Meadows as he is now dealing with injury problems. Alcaraz’s return after his injury hiatus, plus Sinner’s withdrawal, has opened up the draw.

Former WTA World No.1 Kim Clijsters, in fact, called Arthur Fils the favorite, as the Frenchman will be entering the US Open after a successful campaign at the Cincinnati Masters, where he beat Frances Tiafoe and clinched his career’s first Big Title.

Then there is 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic. Although he crashed out of the first round of the Cincinnati Masters, it’s never a good idea to write off the 39-year-old in Grand Slam events, as he not only defeated Sinner in this year’s Australian Open semifinal but also beat Felix Auger-Aliassime in a grueling Wimbledon quarterfinal that lasted more than five hours.

Alcaraz, before his Barcelona mid-match retirement, made three finals. He first beat Djokovic in the Australian Open final and became the youngest Career Grand Slam champion. Then he beat Fils in the Qatar Open final, before losing the Monte-Carlo Masters to Sinner.

Carlos Alcaraz on playing mixed doubles with Serena Williams

In the mixed doubles, Carlos Alcaraz and Serena Williams beat the pair of Lloyd Glasspool and Erin Routliffe before losing to Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli in the quarterfinals. During the on-court interview after their first-round match, Alcaraz admitted that he did suffer from nerves while playing alongside the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion. Later during the interview with NBC, the 23-year-old talked more about his experience.

I was really nervous at the beginning, so I felt the pressure; I felt everything. It was kind of like playing the final of a Grand Slam. For me, it was an amazing experience; I loved it and enjoyed every single second. For me, it was a privilege.

Williams and her sister Venus Williams have received a wild card to play doubles in their home Slam. The US Open will mark the first Grand Slam where the Williams sisters will play together since the 2022 US Open.

They received the wild card for Wimbledon, but Williams’ injury during her singles match against Maya Joint in the first round saw them withdraw. But they played their first official match together since the younger sister’s comeback from retirement at the Cincinnati Open, where they suffered an opening-round exit.

They have won a combined 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, last winning at the 2016 Wimbledon. Alcaraz has never featured in men’s doubles in Majors but has played the mixed doubles twice. Last year at the US Open, he and Emma Raducanu joined forces and lost in the first round. In singles this time, the Murcia native will be chasing his third title in the New York Major.

Also read: Elena Rybakina Provides Injury Update Ahead of US Open: “I Don’t Want to Rush”