Story perspectives

Alcaraz Returns, Raducanu Skips Ahead of US Open

7/17/2026

Summary

Alcaraz Returns

Carlos Alcaraz entered the Cincinnati Open on August 13 to start his comeback.
He missed the French Open and Wimbledon after a wrist injury at the Barcelona Open in April.
The Cincinnati event gives him practice before the US Open, where he will defend his 2025 title.
Emma Raducanu also skips the Montreal and Cincinnati tournaments while recovering from a lower-right-leg stress fracture, aiming for the US Open beginning August 30.

Summary

Sinner Wins Wimbledon

Alexander Zverev won the Paris Masters on clay, a rare Masters victory on that surface for the German.
Jannik Sinner claimed his second straight Wimbledon title, after Alcaraz’s four-month lay-off intensified their rivalry.
Carlos Alcaraz missed Roland Garros, where he was the two-time champion, and could not defend his titles.
Analysts say Sinner’s Wimbledon wins and Zverev’s clay triumph have shifted the competitive balance on grass and clay during Alcaraz’s absence.

Summary

Fery Wildcard

Organisers allocated a wildcard for a British player, letting Arthur Fery enter the Cincinnati Masters-1000 event Aug. 13-23.
Arthur Fery, Britain’s new male number-one, reached a career-high ATP ranking of No 36 after his Wimbledon semi-final.
His inclusion makes him the first British top-40 player in this year’s Cincinnati field.
British player Jack Draper must obtain a wildcard to enter the Cincinnati Open because he is not on the entry list.

History

Historical Context

Rafael Nadal’s 2008 Wimbledon triumph ended Roger Federer’s five-year reign, a 4-hour-48-minute final that gave Nadal the rare French-Open/Wimbledon double once achieved only by Rod Laver and Björn Borg. That disruption created openings for younger rivals, a pattern echoed in 2024 as Carlos Alcaraz’s wrist injury cleared the way for Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev and wildcard Brit Arthur Fery to contend.

1 of 4

Alcaraz Returns

Carlos Alcaraz entered the Cincinnati Open on August 13 to start his comeback.
He missed the French Open and Wimbledon after a wrist injury at the Barcelona Open in April.
The Cincinnati event gives him practice before the US Open, where he will defend his 2025 title.
Emma Raducanu also skips the Montreal and Cincinnati tournaments while recovering from a lower-right-leg stress fracture, aiming for the US Open beginning August 30.

1 / 4