Carlos Alcaraz has announced that he feels "great" as he gears up to defend his US Open crown, marking his first appearance on the hard courts of Flushing Meadows since recovering from a right‑wrist injury that forced him out of competition in April. The 23‑year‑old Spaniard, a seven‑time Grand Slam champion, has long been known for delivering his best tennis on the sport's biggest stages, and despite the uncertainty surrounding his comeback, he remains a formidable contender.
Alcaraz will open his title defence against Russia's Roman Safiullin, following a brief warm‑up match in mixed doubles alongside Serena Williams. Speaking to the media, the young star emphasized the mental side of his recovery: "I'm feeling very good, and I think that injury helped me a lot to understand that right now, everything is in my head.
I have to trust my team, trust the people who tell me that everything is going to be fine. So I just have to go 100 per cent. Right now, with the training I've done so far, everything has gone well.
I'm trying to get away from that fear and play normally." There were initial concerns that Alcaraz might need to alter his playing style to protect his wrist, a dilemma that has also plagued Britain's Jack Draper, who has been forced to experiment with his serve in an attempt to manage lingering injury issues. However, Alcaraz insists that his game plan remains unchanged. "I haven't changed anything. I've been doing the same things.
I haven't changed anything technically, in terms of my movements or the way I'm going to play," he said. "I just wanted to feel that I was going to be myself." The Spaniard acknowledges that stepping back onto a best‑of‑five‑set Grand Slam after a prolonged lay‑off is a massive challenge. "I knew that coming here to the US Open, being a best‑of‑five‑set tournament and being my first tournament after such a long time, was going to be a huge challenge.
Probably, in terms of preparation, it wasn't the ideal time. But my team and I believe that I'm ready. It wasn't an easy decision. I did everything I needed to do to be ready.
I tried to do everything perfectly, both on and off the court, to feel prepared. We saw that everything was fine, that everything was responding properly, and we believed it was the right time to come back," he explained.
Alcaraz also took a moment to comment on the situation of fellow world No.1 Jannik Sinner, who has been sidelined with his own injury. "It's a weird situation to be honest. I just wish him all the best... a great recovery and to see him back in court at his best," Alcaraz said, expressing genuine concern for his rival.
During his time away from the tour, Alcaraz was not entirely out of the public eye. He had the honour of carrying the FIFA World Cup trophy onto the pitch at MetLife Stadium as Spain celebrated a dramatic victory over Argentina.
"For me it was a lifetime experience, seeing Spain winning the World Cup," he recalled. "Louis Vuitton had the trunks that were carrying the trophy, so they told me that I'm down to do it. It was a lifetime experience for me, like holding the trophy in the ceremony, to give it to them on the field.
So it was a great experience." Looking ahead, the US Open will be broadcast live on Sky Sports starting August 30, with streaming options available via NOW and the Sky Sports app. Fans can also catch the upcoming Laver Cup at The O2 in London from September 25‑27, also shown on Sky Sports. As Alcaraz steps onto the court for his first match back, the tennis world will be watching closely to see whether his confidence and unchanged technique can translate into another Grand Slam triumph after a challenging rehabilitation period.