Carlos Alcaraz ramps up preparations ahead of US Open
The Spanish star withdrew from the Canadian Open but has now returned to hard-court training to prepare for the final Grand Slam of the year.
Carlos Alcaraz is back in action, and he is targeting the last Grand Slam tournament of the year after defeat in the Wimbledon final earlier this month.
The Spaniard lost to world no. 1 Jannik Sinner at the All England Club, ending his hopes of a third consecutive Wimbledon triumph.
Following that disappointing Alcaraz withdrew from the Canadian Open, which begins this Sunday in Toronto, due to a minor muscle problem that he had been suffering from for some time. He is one of a number of leading players to sit out the Canadian tournament, joining Sinner in missing out.
Writing on social media, Alcaraz explained: “I will not be able to play in Toronto this year, I have small muscles issues and I need to recover physically and mentally for what comes next. To the tournament and to my fans in Canada I am very sorry, I will see you next year!”
But there is good news for fans ahead of the US Open (August 24 to September 7), as Alcaraz was seen back on the court on Friday.
The US Open the first Grand Slam triumph of his career, which he won in 2022. In preparation for the event Alcaraz will also compete in the Cincinnati Masters 1000, from August 5 to 18.
Assuming that Alcaraz is back to full fitness for the final Grand Slam in Flushing Meadows next month, he can reunite the burgeoning rivalry with Sinner. The two men look destined to dominate the world of tennis for years to come and Alcaraz paid tribute to Sinner after the Wimbledon final.
“He was pushing me to the limit in every point,” Alcaraz said. “Mentally, sometimes it’s really tough to maintain the good focus during the whole match when you see the opponent just playing such great tennis.
“At some points I didn’t know what I had to do because from the baseline I was feeling he was better than me and I couldn’t do anything about it.”
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