Carlos Alcaraz will defend his US Open crown he announced today.
Richard PagliaroAugust 20, 20262 minute read
Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, August 20, 2026
Photo credit: Jon Buckle/ROLEX
Get ready New York.
Carlitos Time is coming to the US Open.
Reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz announced on social media he will defend his US Open championship in New York this month with a three-word video: “Here we go!”
“Carlos Alcaraz will return to the tour at the US Open after spending four months sidelined with a right wrist injury,” a statement posted on Alcaraz’s official Instagram said today.
The US Open main draw begins on Sunday, August 30th.
The 23-year-old Alcaraz, who has not played since injuring his right wrist defeating Otto Virtanen in his Barcelona Open opener in April, pulled out of Cincinnati last week. Alcaraz was defending Cincinnati champion, defeating Jannik Sinner, who retired from their 2025 Cincinnati Open final.
Overall, Alcaraz has posted a 22-3 record in 2026, winning titles at the Australian Open and in Doha.
While there were rumors Alcaraz, who partnered Emma Raducanu in the 2025 US Mixed Doubles tournament, could join forces with Serena Williams in a Flushing Meadows Mixed Doubles pairing, he did not mention Mixed Doubles in his announcement.
Slashing a serve winner on his third championship point, Alcaraz dropped to his knees and arose as world No. 1 again after winning the 2025 US Open on September 7th.
A dynamic Alcaraz dethroned defending champion Jannik Sinner 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 to capture his second US Open championship and supplant Sinner as world No. 1.
The Spanish shotmaker claimed his sixth career Grand Slam championship in New York, avenged his four-set defeat to Sinner in the Wimbledon final and collected a Grand Slam record $5 Million champion’s check.
“When you achieve the goals you set up yourself at the beginning of the year, it feels amazing,” Alcaraz said after the 2025 US Open final. “Since I got the chance to recover the No. 1, it was one of the first goals that I had during the seasons, just to try to recover the No. 1 as soon as possible or end the year as the No. 1.
“For me, achieve that once again, it is, as I said, it is a dream. Doing in the same day as getting another Grand Slam feels even better. It’s everything I’m working for, and I’m really happy to be able to live these experiences.”
Alcaraz went on to defeat Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final in January to collect his seventh Grand Slam crown and become the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam at 22 years, 272 days old.
