Overview
- Tournament organisers confirmed that Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from the Cincinnati Masters, removing his planned tune-up before the US Open.
- Alcaraz has been sidelined since an April right‑wrist diagnosis of tenosynovitis and has missed Roland Garros, Wimbledon and several Masters events.
- Reports say his team is considering asking for a late wildcard to the Winston‑Salem Open as a final match‑practice option before New York, but that plan is unconfirmed and depends on medical clearance.
- Physiotherapists and former players warn wrist tenosynovitis can be slow to heal, has a high risk of recurrence, and means Alcaraz should only play the US Open if his wrist is fully able to withstand best‑of‑five matches.
- Beyond the immediate health risk, missing Cincinnati costs roughly 1,000 ATP points and jeopardises the hard‑court swing that would defend about 3,000 points, forcing a trade‑off between short‑term title defence and long‑term career protection.