Alcaraz hungry to defend US Open title

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2026 US Open

30 August – 13 September

USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Queens, New York

Carlos Alcaraz heads into the 2026 US Open as the defending champion and one of the leading favourites for the title, but his preparations for the final Grand Slam of the season have been far from ideal.

The Spaniard has not played competitively since April after suffering a wrist injury that forced him to miss both the French Open and Wimbledon. He had been expected to make his comeback at the Cincinnati Open, but withdrew from the tournament, leaving his participation in New York under a cloud of uncertainty. Alcaraz remains on the US Open entry list, with the main draw beginning on August 30.

If fit, however, the 23-year-old will be among the men to beat. Alcaraz produced a remarkable run to the 2025 title, defeating Jannik Sinner in an epic five-set final before lifting his second US Open crown. The memory of that triumph is clearly providing motivation as he targets a successful defence.

“I’m just locked in from the first point until the last one. I’m taking last year as motivation to be more hungry, more ambitious.”

His rivalry with Sinner remains the defining storyline of men’s tennis. Sinner currently occupies the world No. 1 ranking and arrives as the reigning Wimbledon champion, although his own preparations have been disrupted after a right knee injury forced him to withdraw from Cincinnati.

Alcaraz has embraced the significance of their battle for supremacy, saying: “Jannik and I, we’re fighting for the No. 1 spot. We’re fighting for the Grand Slams. We’re fighting for the great things in tennis, and I think that makes a good rivalry. That’s what the Big Three [Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic] did.”

The 2026 US Open runs from August 30 to September 13 at Flushing Meadows, with the men’s final scheduled for September 13.

For Alcaraz, the immediate priority is simply getting healthy. But if he can return at full strength, the defending champion has the explosive athleticism, creativity and big-match mentality to make another serious run at the trophy – and potentially reclaim the world No. 1 ranking in the process.