Reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz aims to launch his comeback next month.
By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, July 22, 2026
Photo credit: Jennifer Pottheiser/USTA
Carlos Alcaraz spent last weekend in New York as a fan and is aiming for an August return as a player.
Reigning US Open champions Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka lead the Entry List for the 2026 US Open.
The 2026 US Open is set for Sunday, August 23rd-Sunday, September 13th. The US Open singles main draws begin on Sunday, August 30th.
The top-seeded Sabalenka, who defeated American Amanda Anisimova in the 2025 Flushing Meadows final, is competing to become the first woman to win three consecutive US Open singles titles since Serena Williams did it from 2012-2014.
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World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, the Wimbledon winner and 2024 US Open champion, headlines a men’s field that features Grand Slam king Novak Djokovic, 2025 semifinalist Felix Auger-Aliassime, former champion Daniil Medvedev and Americans Ben Shelton, Taylor Fritz, Learner Tien, Frances Tiafoe and Tommy Paul.
Alcaraz, who has not played since injuring his wrist defeating Otto Virtanen in his Barcelona Open opener in April, also headlines the Cincinnati Open entry list.
A year ago, Alcaraz defeated Andrey Rublev and Alexander Zverev in succession to reach the Cincinnati final where he led archrival Jannik Sinner, 5-0, when the Italian retired from the Cincinnati Monday final.
In a US Open final attended by President Donald Trump, Alcaraz defeated Sinner 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 last September. The 22-year-old Spaniard claimed his sixth career Grand Slam championship, avenged his four-set defeat to Sinner in the Wimbledon final and collected a Grand Slam record $5 Million champion’s check in Flushing Meadows last summer.
“When you achieve the goals you set up yourself at the beginning of the year, it feels amazing,” Alcaraz said. “Since I got the chance to recover the No. 1, it was one of the first goals that I had during the seasons, just to try to recover the No. 1 as soon as possible or end the year as the No. 1.
“For me, achieve that once again, it is, as I said, it is a dream. Doing in the same day as getting another Grand Slam feels even better. It’s everything I’m working for, and I’m really happy to be able to live these experiences.”
Last weekend, Alcaraz returned to New York to help present the World Cup in a Louis Vuitton trophy trunk.
Overall, Alcaraz has posted a 22-3 record in 2026, winning titles at the Australian Open and in Doha.
World No. 2 Elena Rybakina, the reigning Australian Open champion, French Open champion Mirra Andreeva, two-time Grand Slam champion Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova and 2024 US Open singles finalist Jessica Pegula are among the top women on the Entry List.
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The 2026 US Open field includes 17 total former Grand Slam singles champions—11 women, six men—including 10 former US Open champions.
The United States leads all nations with 28 players (14 women and 14 men) earning direct entry into the main draw.
Eight total players (five women, three men) are using special or protected rankings, including Lois Boisson (No. 38), Juncheng Shang (No. 56), Irina-Camelia Begu (No. 82) and Thanasi Kokkinakis (No. 84).
Both the men’s and women’s entries were based on the July 20 rankings. The women’s cutoff was No. 102, while the men’s cutoff was No. 101.
Richard Pagliaro. Richard Pagliaro is Tennis Now Managing Editor. He is a graduate of New York University and has covered pro tennis for more than 35 years. Richard was tennis columnist for Gannett Newspapers in NY, served as Managing Editor for TennisWeek.com and worked as a writer/editor for Tennis.com. He has been TennisNow.com managing editor since 2010.