Carlos Alcaraz, the Spanish world No. 3 returning to the court after four months out with an injury, will chase the season's final major title without his chief rival, Italy's world No. 1 Jannik Sinner.
Alcaraz will compete in men's singles at the 2026 US Open, which begins on the 30th, Korea time, at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. He warmed up by reaching the quarterfinals of the mixed doubles event alongside Serena Williams of the United States, and is now seeking a second straight singles title at the tournament.
Alcaraz injured his right wrist during the ATP Tour's Barcelona Open in April. He retired from the tournament after hurting the wrist in his opening match and has not played since, making this his first appearance in four months.
While Alcaraz was off the tour, Germany's Alexander Zverev, the world No. 2, won the French Open and Sinner took the Wimbledon title.
Alcaraz won his first major crown at the 2022 US Open, becoming the youngest world No. 1 in history. He then beat Sinner in the 2025 final to claim his second US Open trophy.
His chances this year are stronger because Sinner, his toughest opponent and the top-ranked player, has pulled out with a right knee injury. Rusty match play remains a risk, but with top seeds sidelined or out of form, the path to another title has opened up for Alcaraz.
Sinner, who has not played since Wimbledon in July, said he had resumed training but found that his knee needed more time to heal. "I have made the difficult decision that I cannot play the US Open," he said.
This year's US Open, with total prize money of $108 million, becomes the first major tournament in history to top $100 million, making it the largest ever.
