Carlos Alcaraz will not compete at this year's Cincinnati Open, with organisers confirming the 23-year-old is still nursing the wrist injury that also kept him out of Wimbledon.
An injury that has now cost him two events
Alcaraz's wrist problem first forced him to sit out Wimbledon this year, and it has proven stubborn enough to rule him out of the Ohio hard-court event as well. The Cincinnati Open, which begins on 11 August, will go ahead without one of the sport's biggest draws as the Spaniard continues his recovery away from competitive tennis.
Organisers wish him a swift return
Tournament director Bob Moran confirmed the withdrawal, saying an ongoing wrist injury was the reason Alcaraz could not take part this year. "We know Carlos is doing everything he can to get back to playing tournaments as soon as possible," Moran said. He added that the tournament wished Alcaraz well with his recovery and was looking forward to welcoming him back to Cincinnati in the future.
A tricky injury to manage
Wrist problems are notoriously difficult for tennis players to play through, since the joint absorbs repeated stress from serves, forehands and two-handed backhands. For a player of Alcaraz's style, built around heavy topspin and physical shot-making, rushing back before the wrist had properly healed would risk turning a short-term issue into a longer-term setback. That appears to be the calculation behind sitting out a second big tournament this year rather than risking his fitness on the Ohio hard courts.
Uncertainty over his next tournament
No return date has been given for Alcaraz, and it is not yet clear which tournament he will target for his comeback. For now, his focus remains on recovering from the wrist injury that has already cost him a Grand Slam and one of the sport's marquee hard-court events, with organisers in Cincinnati saying only that they hope to see him back at the tournament in future years.
