Carlos Alcaraz is expected to return to tennis at the Cincinnati Open next month.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion injured his wrist at the Barcelona Open and missed the remainder of the clay-court season and the grass-court season.
Many fans are looking forward to Alcaraz’s return, hoping he can resume his already legendary rivalry with Italy’s Jannik Sinner.
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Sinner remains the last player to beat Alcaraz on tour, but who else defeated the world number three before his wrist gave way?
The last five players who beat Carlos Alcaraz
Jannik Sinner
Alcaraz and Sinner faced off for the Monte Carlo Masters crown in April.
It was the Spaniard who walked on court as the favourite, looking to defend the title he’d won 12 months ago.
However, Sinner was determined to win his maiden clay-court Masters 1000 event, taking a tight first set 7-6 (7-5), to move within touching distance of the title.
He carried that momentum through to the second set, which he won 6-3, to claim the title and a big win over his rival.
Sebastian Korda
Before travelling to Monte Carlo, Alcaraz suffered one of the most disappointing results of his career so far.
Alcaraz hoped to bounce back after losing his second-round match at the 2025 Miami Open, and while he reached the third round this time, he couldn’t go any further.
The Spaniard lost to Sebastian Korda in three sets, 3-6, 7-5, 4-6.
It was his worst defeat by ranking (36th) since he lost to David Goffin (55th) in Miami 12 months earlier.
Daniil Medvedev
Alcaraz hadn’t lost a match in 2026 before the Indian Wells semi-finals.
He had won the Australian Open and Qatar Open back-to-back, and looked unbeatable.
That was until he played Daniil Medvedev.
The former US Open champion played an excellent match to stop Alcaraz in his tracks, winning 6-3, 7-6.
Cameron Norrie
Great Britain’s Cameron Norrie was the last player other than Sinner (2025 ATP Finals – F) to beat Alcaraz in 2025.
Alcaraz entered the Paris Masters as the top seed, searching for his maiden title at the event, but failed to live up to expectations.
After winning the first set 6-4, Alcaraz’s level dipped, and Norrie began to peak, as he fought back to win in three, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
The win was Norrie’s third against the Spaniard, moving to 3-6 in their head-to-head.
Taylor Fritz
Few expected Taylor Fritz to beat Alcaraz when they met on day two of the 2025 Laver Cup.
Alcaraz had won their first three career meetings and made light work of Fritz at the Laver Cup a year earlier.
This was different, though, as the American, cheered on by his teammates, delivered one of the finest performances of his career, winning in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2.
Carlos Alcaraz’s 2026 results
Alcaraz has only lost three matches this year, proving himself as one of the best players of his generation once again.
The 23-year-old hasn’t played a full schedule due to injury, but he still has two titles to his name.
| Tournament | Performance | Match wins | Defeat |
| Australian Open | Champion | 7 (Adam Walton, Yannick Hanfmann, Corentin Moutet, Tommy Paul, Alex de Minaur, Alexander Zverev, Novak Djokovic) | – |
| Qatar Open | Champion | 5 (Arthur Rinderknech, Valentin Royer, Karen Khachanov, Andrey Rublev, Arthur Fils) | – |
| Indian Wells | Semi-final | 4 (Grigor Dimitrov, Arthur Rinderknech, Casper Ruud, Cameron Norrie) | Daniil Medvedev |
| Miami Open | Third round | 1 (Joao Fonseca) | Sebastian Korda |
| Monte Carlo Masters | Final | 4 (Sebastian Baez, Tomas Martin Etcheverry, Alexander Bublik, Valentin Vacherot) | Jannik Sinner |
| Barcelona Open | Second round | 1 (Otto Virtanen) | – |
Whether he can win a third title when he returns remains to be seen.
This year’s Cincinnati Open begins on Thursday, August 13.
