Carlos Alcaraz played his first competitive match in nearly five months at the US Open. He reached the quarterfinals, which under the circumstances was a reasonable outcome.
## The Comeback
A right wrist injury kept Alcaraz out from April onwards, costing him the French Open and Wimbledon. He confirmed his US Open entry barely a week before the tournament began.
As defending champion, he won four matches before running into Ben Shelton.
## The Quarterfinal
Alcaraz lost to Shelton in a match that finished at 3:33 a.m., the latest finish in US Open history. It surpassed the previous record set by his own 2022 quarterfinal against Jannik Sinner.
The defeat ended a 17-match Grand Slam winning streak.
## Where He Ranks
Alcaraz holds world No. 3, though only narrowly. Shelton’s run to the final moved the American to within roughly 1,000 points of him, so third place is not secure heading into the autumn.
## The 2026 Season
– Australian Open: Champion, beating Novak Djokovic in the final
– French Open: Did not play, wrist injury
– Wimbledon: Did not play, wrist injury
– US Open: Quarterfinals
One major title from two tournaments played is a strong strike rate, even if the missing half of the season cost him heavily in ranking points.
## What Comes Next
Alcaraz is part of Team Europe at the Laver Cup, alongside Alexander Zverev, Jakub Mensik, Casper Ruud, Flavio Cobolli and Rafael Jodar. He then heads to Tokyo for the Japan Open from September 30, where he is defending champion, with the Shanghai Masters following on October 7.
For the rival he will meet again soon, see Jannik Sinner’s 2026 results and ranking. The man who beat him in New York is covered in Ben Shelton’s US Open run, and the new champion in Zverev’s 2026 season.
## The Outlook
If the wrist holds, Alcaraz starts 2027 with very little to defend and everything to gain.