Returning Carlos Alcaraz vows to take more breaks

Carlos Alcaraz of Spain reacts with partner Serena Williams of the United States in their mixed doubles match against Erin Routliffe of New Zealand and Lloyd Glasspool of the United Kingdom during Fan Week at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 25, 2026 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. Sarah Stier/Getty Images/AFP

NEW YORK—Feeling better than he expected after a four-month absence, Carlos Alcaraz is planning to take more breaks during the tennis season.

Alcaraz returned to play at the US Open after being sidelined since April by a right wrist injury. The defending champion advanced to the fourth round Friday with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 victory over Wu Yibing.

He said his body feels good and he’s had no setbacks after his matches.

“It feels like I’ve been competing the whole time. So I surprise myself the way that I’m feeling and the way that I’m recovering after every match,” Alcaraz said. “So I’m just really happy about it that I’m able to perform at my best after every match.”

Alcaraz said the injury that forced him to withdraw during the Barcelona Open wasn’t caused by playing too much, so taking time off next year wouldn’t be for physical reasons. Rather, he believes it would provide him a mental benefit.

“I’m kind of a guy that doesn’t need to play a lot of tournaments,” Alcaraz said, explaining he preferred to be “mentally healthy.”

“I just feel like you can have those moments of time to have a break,” he added, “to prepare well for tournaments, to prepare well mentally.”

He debuted a new look Friday, with a white shirt underneath his sleeveless shirt, and has a new celebration, mimicking shooting an arrow.

The wardrobe change was apparently because just one shirt was moving around too much in the previous match.

“I think I saw my nipple too much lately,” he said. “I felt like, you know, I could hide it for at least one match.”

The celebration choice came from his brothers.

“They made me choose to do the arrow or dancing, so I didn’t have any doubts about choosing the arrow,” Alcaraz said. “So I will ask them what’s next if I win the next round.”

Alcaraz played 80 matches last year and was 22-3, including his seventh major championship at the Australian Open, when he was hurt this year. Like many players, he is worried about the length of the tennis season and the number of tournaments.

Unlike many of them, he doesn’t have serious ranking or financial concerns if he chooses to skip some events.

“It is like it’s tournament after tournament after tournament, and you don’t feel like you are well-prepared coming to some tournaments,” Alcaraz said. “So that’s why I just decided that probably in the future I’m going to take breaks because I want to feel well prepared coming to Grand Slams, Masters 1000s, whatever it is.”

Sitting out for longer periods would surely help the 23-year-old physically, and Alcaraz ultimately thinks it will make him happier. —AP