Carlos Alcaraz slams gruelling tennis schedule after injury comeback win at US Open
(Courtesy : Facebook/@carlitosalcarazz)
Alcaraz has been out of action for four months
Defending US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz is back on tour after four months out with a wrist injury, and his return has come with a pointed message about the packed schedule, which he says is pushing players to the breaking point.
The second seed made those comments after a 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 win over Portugal’s Jaime Faria on Wednesday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium, reaching the US Open third round.
“Seeing how tight the calendar is, obviously I don’t want to have this break because of an injury. But in the future, I’m gonna take some breaks… some long breaks.
Maybe not four months, but one month, two months, start missing some tournaments because it’s impossible to play them all. They’re adding more important tournaments. In a way, they’re making us play…” Alcaraz said.
“We’re seeing a lot of players getting injured, a lot of players getting tired. If they don’t do anything about it, we’re gonna see it even more in the future,” he added.
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Alcaraz’s own layoff, which kept him off tour since mid-April because of a right wrist injury, is a case in point for the argument he’s making.
Yet, there was little sign of rust once he found his footing against Faria. The Portuguese No. 72 broke serve at 3-3 in the first set after Alcaraz missed a routine forehand and closed it out 6-4, but Alcaraz responded by sweeping the second set 6-0 and carrying that momentum into an eight-game winning streak that spanned both sets, breaking Faria’s serve five times along the way.
Carlos Alcaraz says he’s going to take some long breaks, 1 to 2 months long, & start missing some tournaments because it’s impossible to keep up with the tennis calender, ‘We’re seeing a lot of players getting injured’
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 3, 2026
“Seeing how tight the calendar is, obviously I don’t want to… pic.twitter.com/Q6zPFtulOB
Alcaraz closed out the match in two hours and forty minutes with 43 winners and 70 per cent of his second-serve points won, compared to just 31 per cent for Faria.
Carlos Alcaraz has history in the background
The win pushes Alcaraz’s US Open record to 26 wins in the main draw, his best mark at any Grand Slam, and keeps alive his bid to become the first man to defend the title since Swiss great Roger Federer won five straight from 2004 to 2008.
Alcaraz is a two-time US Open champion, having won his maiden title here in 2022 before lifting the trophy again in 2025. The Spaniard now stands at 9-0 at majors in 2026.
ALSO READ: Carlos Alcaraz matches historic Pete Sampras feat on hard court
His next opponent is China’s Wu Yibing, who beat Australia’s James Duckworth 7-5, 6-3, 6-1. Alcaraz leads their head-to-head 1-0, with their only previous meeting coming in Shanghai in 2024.
Why is Carlos Alcaraz talking about breaks from the tennis calendar?
Alcaraz says the schedule is too packed, causing more injuries and fatigue. He plans to take one to two-month breaks in the future rather than risk another forced layoff like the wrist injury that kept him out for four months in 2026.
Who does Alcaraz play next at the US Open?
He faces China’s Wu Yibing in the third round. Alcaraz leads their head-to-head 1-0, having beaten him at the 2024 Shanghai Masters.
When did Alcaraz first win the US Open?
Alcaraz first won the US Open back in 2022, beating Casper Ruud of Norway 6-4, 2-6, 7-6, 6-3 in the final.
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