Carlos Alcaraz confirms he will play 2026 US Open

The tennis world got a shot of good news on Thursday as defending US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz confirmed he will play in the final Grand Slam of the year beginning next week.

Alcaraz has been away from the ATP Tour for four months with a wrist injury. He completed the career Grand Slam in January by winning the Australian Open.

Alcaraz was careful with nis recovery so as to not hurt the wrist more with a premature return.

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What Alcaraz said

Alcaraz posted “HERE WE GO!”

We also know how Alcaraz’s US Open Nike kit will look.

The basketball themed kit suits Alcaraz.

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Will Alcaraz play US Open mixed doubles

Recall that Alcaraz play US Open mixed doubles with Emma Raducanu last year. That partnership garnered a lot of attention as fans hoped a romance would also flourish between the two.

Many expect him to play again this year. The mixed doubles portion of the tournament begins Monday, August 24. Some are speculating that a big announcement will be made on Friday regarding Alcaraz’s partner.

Serena Williams is rumored to be the blockbuster partner. They have engaged in social media banter hinting at this tantalizing possibility if both were healthy. They would enter the tournament as a wildcard.

What to expect from Alcaraz

It is really difficult to predict how Alcaraz will play at the US Open. Two factors work against him. He had a long layoff so rust is inevitable. Also, match fitness could be an issue with best-of-five set matches.

If New York is experiencing a heatwave, both of those issues could be magnified for Alcaraz.

The tournament will likely schedule him at night especially at the beginning of the singles draw to mitigate some of that.