Spanish tennis star Carlos Alcaraz returns to Vienna Open after four-month wrist layoff
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The gist
Spanish tennis star Carlos Alcaraz, ranked No. 3, opens his Vienna campaign against Karen Khachanov.
His return follows a four-month wrist injury that cost him two Grand Slams.
Background
Carlos Alcaraz is a 23-year-old Spanish tennis player, a seven-time Grand Slam champion and former world No. 1, currently ranked third. He injured his wrist at the Barcelona Open in April 2026 and was sidelined for four months, missing Roland Garros, Wimbledon and several Masters 1000 events, including four title defences. Since returning at the US Open in August he has won the Japan Open and helped Team Europe win the Laver Cup, and he has now changed his schedule to add the Vienna Open before the Paris Masters and ATP Finals.
How it unfolded
- Apr 2026Alcaraz suffers a wrist injury at the Barcelona Open and is sidelined for four months.
- Aug 2026He returns at the US Open, reaching the quarterfinals, including a late-night five-set loss to Ben Shelton.
- Oct 12, 2026Alcaraz loses to Zizou Bergs at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.
- Oct 21, 2026A social media user shares that Alcaraz sent a fan a handwritten thank-you letter and a signed photograph.
- Oct 22, 2026It is announced Alcaraz will play the Queen's Club Championships in 2027, having missed the 2026 edition.
- Oct 24, 2026The Vienna Open draw pairs Alcaraz with Karen Khachanov in the first round.
- Oct 26, 2026Ahead of the Erste Bank Open, Alcaraz speaks to reporters as No. 3 in the rankings with a 33-5 season record, and is confirmed to return to the Davis Cup in Bologna.
Who’s saying what
- Support
- Alcaraz said Alexander Zverev's rise to world No. 1 was "well deserved, to be honest," and that he misses playing Zverev, Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic.
- Caution
- Daniil Medvedev questioned whether Zverev deserved the top ranking, given the legitimacy questions raised by Alcaraz's and Sinner's injuries.
- Party
- Ben Shelton said it has been "sad for tennis" that Sinner and Alcaraz missed so much of the year, but rejected that their dominance has faded: "I think to say that they're fading is unfair."
- Expert
- Alcaraz described being a role model as showing how he behaves on and off the court, saying "it is not only about winning tournaments."
Still unverified
The complete wording of Alcaraz's handwritten letter to a fan has not been independently confirmed.