Carlos Alcaraz is set to make his long-awaited return from injury next month.
The Spaniard suffered a worrying wrist injury at the Barcelona Open in April, and he has been absent from the Tour for almost four months.
Alcaraz is set to make his return at the Cincinnati Open after appearing on the tournament’s men’s singles entry list earlier this week.
Do you believe Carlos Alcaraz is already the greatest tennis player of all time?
Returning from injury is always difficult for any professional athlete – the pressure to succeed straightaway and nervousness surrounding potentially re-injuring oneself can impact a player’s ability to return to their best.
Jimmy Connors, who suffered multiple injuries during his historic career, has offered Alcaraz a word of advice ahead of his return next month.
Jimmy Connors’ says Carlos Alcaraz must navigate his way past the mental challenges upon returning from injury
“It’s all in your head, Brett,” the five-time US Open champion said on the Advantage Connors podcast when asked for the advice he would give to Alcaraz.
“The wonder [of] if your wrist is going to hold up and if you were going to feel pain or if it… the pace of your opponent’s shots and the way you hit your forehand or your backhand or whatever. It’s mostly in your head.
“So if he can get through that and go in feeling confident that, ‘hey, my wrist is good. It’s going to hold up no matter what I do,’ that’s going to propel him a little bit faster to you know getting it complete in his mind that he could go out and really just cut loose and play the kind of tennis that he wants to.
The ATP top-five ranked players
- Jannik Sinner – 13,450
- Alexander Zverev – 8,480
- Carlos Alcaraz – 8,160
- Felix Auger-Aliassime – 4,740
- Alex de Minaur – 4,110
“But it’s the wonder – how it’s going to be at the very beginning that he’s going to have to get through. That’s going to be the tough part.”
He later added: “He’s been out for, what, five months, four or five months? Yeah, three or four months, something like that.
“Three or four months, and, you know, as we always talk about, you know, you can go practice all you want, but it’s not the same as match play.
“In match play, you always push it a little bit harder, you go at it differently than when you’re just practicing.
“You can always let up in the practice and say, ‘oh, I didn’t have to go for that.’ But you know, if you’re trying to win tournaments, you’re going to have to give it everything you have.
“He’s going to have to get that in his mind that, ‘hey, my wrist is going to hold up. I can cut loose. I can play the kind of tennis that I want to, and let’s get to it.'”
Alcaraz’s future return to the Tour will be welcomed by fans across the globe.
The Spaniard brings an excitement to the sport that few others have been able to do throughout tennis history.
Spectacular shot-making, an inspiring attitude, and a vibrant personality make the 23-year-old perhaps the most likeable and well-respected figure in the sport today.
Tennis has well and truly missed Alcaraz’s presence.
Carlos Alcaraz’s 2025 North American swing
Alcaraz did not let his defeat in the 2025 Wimbledon final prevent him from achieving all he could during the North American hard-court swing.
Alcaraz began his dominant campaign in Cincinnati, where he won the title following Jannik Sinner’s injury-induced retirement at 0-5 in the final.
The Spaniard carried his excellent form into the US Open, ultimately winning his first title at the event.
Alcaraz defeated Sinner in the final, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.
“Every achievement that I have is because of you,” Alcaraz said afterwards, paying tribute to his coaching team.
“This tournament is super special for me,” he continued.
“It’s a privilege to be a part of this tournament. I just feel at home, feel the energy and feel the love, and I’m just trying to play my best for you guys. You made everything easy.”
