Carlos Alcaraz has been sidelined for nearly three months after sustaining a wrist injury at the Barcelona Open in April. The Spaniard has since missed several major tournaments, including the ATP Masters 1000 events in Madrid and Rome, as well as the Grand Slams in Paris and London.
Alcaraz has now sparked concerns that his injury layoff could be extended after his name was absent from the player entry list for the 2026 National Bank Open in Montréal.
Carlos Alcaraz Shares Positive Update Despite Montréal Concern
Although experts initially expected Alcaraz’s recovery to take a couple of months, the Spaniard is now approaching the fourth month of his absence after being diagnosed with right-wrist tenosynovitis. He has already forfeited 4,800 ranking points during his time away from the tour and risks losing even more if his spell on the sidelines continues.
Alcaraz has recently been spotted intensifying his physical training, notably without the wrist brace he wore during the early stages of his recovery. However, an update from the National Bank Open on Thursday has cast fresh doubt over his return, as the Spaniard remains missing from the tournament’s entry list.
The field includes top names such as Jannik Sinner, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Alexander Zverev, and defending champion Ben Shelton, among others.
Montreal is about to become the ATP’s favourite playground 🎾
The official player list for the #NBO26 is here! 71 of the Top 72 players are headed to town from August 1 to 13 for two weeks of world-class tennis and can’t-miss moments 🤩
Full list 👉 https://t.co/ezdfKvFolT pic.twitter.com/nHDCsAvuUw
— Omnium Banque Nationale (@OBNmontreal) July 9, 2026
Amid growing uncertainty over his return, the 23-year-old offered an encouraging update on his recovery by sharing footage of his on-court training on Instagram. He captioned the post, “On the right path” (translated from Spanish), suggesting he remains optimistic about his comeback.
In the post, Alcaraz was seen training with a wrist bandage and an unstrung racket frame, potentially allowing him to focus on his stroke mechanics and perform safer warm-up exercises through shadow swings. However, he did not provide any update regarding his potential return.
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The World No. 2 is at risk of slipping in the rankings as No. 3 Alexander Zverev continues to close the gap. Alcaraz currently holds 8,160 points in the live rankings, while the German, who is competing in the Wimbledon semifinals, has climbed to 7,890 points.
Carlos Alcaraz also has a daunting task of defending 3,000 points during the North American hardcourt swing, having won both Cincinnati and the US Open last season. With the final Grand Slam of 2026 approaching, the Spaniard will hope to regain full fitness while taking the necessary precautions before returning to one of the most competitive stretches of the season.
