Carlos Alcaraz’s troubled 2026 season has suffered another major setback after the Spaniard officially withdrew from the Cincinnati Open due to his lingering right wrist injury, casting fresh doubt over his chances of defending the US Open title later this month.The 23-year-old, who lifted the Cincinnati crown in 2025, confirmed on Tuesday (August 4) that he will not be fit in time for the ATP Masters 1000 event, which runs from August 11 to 23. His withdrawal means Alcaraz will forfeit the ranking points earned from last year’s title and head into the North American Grand Slam swing without a single competitive hard-court match.

Wrist injury continues to derail season

Alcaraz has been sidelined since suffering a right wrist injury during the Barcelona Open in April. Although he has recently returned to practice, tournament director Bob Moran confirmed that the Spaniard has not progressed far enough in his rehabilitation to compete at the highest level. The injury has already forced Alcaraz to miss both the French Open and Wimbledon, an unprecedented absence from two consecutive Grand Slams during what should have been the prime phase of his career.US Open title defence under threatThe timing of the withdrawal could hardly be worse. With the US Open beginning on August 30, Alcaraz is now expected to enter Flushing Meadows without any competitive preparation on hard courts, assuming he is fit enough to participate.While he remains on the tournament’s official entry list, the lack of match fitness raises serious questions about his ability to defend the title he won last year. Returning from a long injury layoff is challenging enough, but doing so at a Grand Slam without any tune-up events significantly increases the difficulty.

Rankings take another hit

The prolonged absence has also affected Alcaraz’s position in the ATP rankings. Once firmly established among the tour’s top two players, he has slipped to World No. 3, trailing both Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev.