Tennis doesn’t quite feel the same without Carlos Alcaraz present, so it’s positive that we are just weeks away from his planned return.
The Spaniard has not played a competitive tennis match since suffering his injury in Barcelona last April.
And whilst this wait must have been torturous for him, fans have also suffered because of his absence.
In sports especially, players are always told to look for the silver lining amid what would normally be seen as a huge negative, like an injury.
However, in Carlos Alcaraz’s case, there actually is cause for huge optimism that could help him complete some massive career milestones.
Why Carlos Alcaraz’s injury could actually turn into a surprise benefit
The 23-year-old has already won pretty much everything this sport has to offer, and this year completed the career Grand Slam by winning the Australian Open.
All that is left now for him to effectively complete the sport is to win a Masters 1000 title in Canada, Shanghai and Paris, the ATP Finals and the Olympic gold medal.
Rate Carlos Alcaraz’s chances of defending his US Open title with barely any warm-up 😬
It’s no surprise that three of those events come at the back-end of the season, when Alcaraz has usually trailed off slightly.
A hugely busy schedule often leaves most players drained come this portion of the campaign, but on this occasion, Alcaraz will not suffer from such an issue.
After all, by the time he returns in Cincinnati, he will have missed four months of action.
If he enjoys a semi-successful comeback in the weeks that are to come, Alcaraz could end up actually peaking at the Shanghai and Paris Masters and the ATP Finals.
Carlos Alcaraz’s previous performances after the US Open
In all honesty, Alcaraz has never really come close to winning the Masters 1000 titles in Shanghai and Paris.
He has actually only even played the former of the two events twice.
Jannik Sinner forfeits his chance at Masters 1000 history… What do you make of this decision? 😬
His best-ever performance at both tournaments was a run to the quarter-finals, and last year he lost in the final of the ATP Finals to Jannik Sinner.
Rather interestingly, Alcaraz has only ever won one title past the US Open: the China Open in 2024.
