Carlos Alcaraz withdraws from Cincinnati Open

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

For the second straight time in two weeks, former World No. 1 ATP player Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from another tour-level tournament.

Indeed, the waiting game for the seven-time Grand Slam champion’s return continues.

On Aug. 5, 2026, tennis fans were once again deflated after Alcaraz’s camp confirmed his withdrawal from the upcoming Cincinnati Open, which begins on Aug. 8, 2026.

Although many speculated that the 23-year-old Spanish ace is ramping up his preparations for the US Open, Cincinnati Open tournament director Bob Moran explained that the withdrawal is due to Alcaraz’s lingering wrist injury.

“We wish him the best with his recovery and look forward to welcoming him back to Cincinnati in the future,” Moran said in a statement.

Despite teasing a comeback by posting training videos on his official Instagram account, Alcaraz has yet to return to the pro circuit since injuring his wrist in April.

Alcaraz was scheduled to compete in the Canadian Open on Aug. 2, 2026, but his camp withdrew him a week before the tournament started.

Although Alcaraz publicly showed that he is already engaging in full-court tennis workouts, including groundstroke swings and serve-timing drills, his camp felt it was still not the right time to end his three-month layoff.

Alcaraz was diagnosed with tendon sheath inflammation, or tenosynovitis, during his first-round win over Otto Virtanen at the Barcelona Open.

Due to the severity of the injury, Alcaraz missed the French Open and Wimbledon this year and is aiming to return for the year’s final Grand Slam tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York.

Alcaraz’s name is already included on the list of US Open participants, but confirmation from his camp has yet to be received.

Unlike the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open, Alcaraz’s fans expect a greater chance of his return at the US Open, as the young netter posted a teaser of his Nike-sponsored outfit.

¿Carlitos volverá en el Abierto de Estados Unidos?