Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from the Cincinnati Open because of a lingering right wrist injury, dealing another setback in his bid to return before defending his U.S. Open title later this month.
Tournament organizers confirmed the withdrawal Tuesday, extending the world No. 2's absence from competition to more than four months and raising fresh uncertainty over whether he will be ready for the year's final Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion has not played since the Barcelona Open in April.
Alcaraz defeated qualifier Otto Virtanen 6-4, 6-2 in the opening round but said he felt his wrist give way during the match.
Medical examinations later revealed the injury was more serious than initially believed, forcing him to pull out before his scheduled second-round match against Tomas Machac.
The injury abruptly ended his clay-court campaign and sidelined him for the Madrid Open, the Italian Open, where he was the defending champion, and the French Open, where he was seeking a third consecutive title. He also missed the entire grass-court season, including Wimbledon, marking the longest injury layoff of his season.
Cincinnati had been expected to mark Alcaraz's return. The ATP Masters 1000 event, scheduled for Aug. 13-23, is where he captured the 2025 title after world No. 1 Jannik Sinner retired from the final because of illness. That victory helped propel the Spaniard to his second U.S. Open championship, adding to the title he first won in 2022.
Recent training videos posted on social media had fueled optimism that Alcaraz was nearing a comeback, but tournament director Bob Moran said the Spaniard is continuing to prioritize his recovery.
"We know Carlos is doing everything he can to get back to playing tournaments as soon as possible," Moran said in a statement. "We wish him the best with his recovery and look forward to welcoming him back to Cincinnati in the future."
The withdrawal leaves Alcaraz without any competitive hard-court matches before the U.S. Open unless he opts to play the Winston-Salem Open, an ATP 250 tournament beginning Aug. 23. The event represents his final opportunity to gain match fitness before the U.S. Open begins on Aug. 30, although he has not indicated whether he plans to enter.
Alcaraz remains on the entry list for the U.S. Open, where he will attempt to defend the title he won last year, but his participation will likely depend on how his wrist responds over the coming weeks.
Before the injury, Alcaraz had enjoyed another outstanding start to the season. He captured the Australian Open title by defeating Novak Djokovic in the final, becoming the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam. He followed that triumph with a title in Doha and reached the Monte Carlo Masters final before the wrist injury halted his momentum.
He compiled a 22-3 record before being sidelined and remains ranked No. 2 in the world behind Sinner.
While Alcaraz has been recovering, Sinner has strengthened his grip on the top ranking by successfully defending his Wimbledon title and increasing his Grand Slam tally to five. Alcaraz will also surrender the ranking points earned from last year's Cincinnati championship after withdrawing from this year's tournament.
His team has consistently favored a cautious rehabilitation rather than rushing his return, even as his training intensity has increased in recent weeks. Whether Alcaraz chooses to compete in Winston-Salem, heads straight to New York, or delays his comeback further will depend on the progress of his recovery.
