Carlos Alcaraz will be desperate to return to tennis as soon as possible, and the feeling is mutual.
Even with an exciting Wimbledon final between Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev, tennis simply needs Alcaraz, who remains sidelined with a wrist injury.
The Spanish superstar is a constant excitement both on and off the court, but has unfortunately not been in ATP action since April.
However, despite last appearing at the Barcelona Open, Alcaraz currently leads every other player in one key category.
Is men’s tennis boring without Carlos Alcaraz?
Carlos Alcaraz leads the ATP for return despite ongoing absence
The ATP stats rank players in three specific categories; serve, return and pressure.
And despite his lengthy absence, Alcaraz leads the return category versus every other player across a 52-week spell, on all surfaces.
Of course, more minutes mean his rivals have more opportunities to rise and fall, but it also highlights just how impressive Alcaraz was before his injury.
In the 2026 season, the Spaniard boasts 22 wins and just three defeats, with his superb efforts helping him claim two titles.
And his return has clearly played a huge role in his success, with his fierce rival Jannik Sinner notably following close behind in second.
| Rank | Player | Return rating | 1st serve return points won | 2nd serve return points won | Return games won | Break points converted |
| 1 | C. Alcaraz | 162.8 | 34.6% | 53.9% | 31.1% | 43.2% |
| 2 | J. Sinner | 162.2 | 33.0% | 56.0% | 31.0% | 42.2% |
| 3 | R. Jodar | 160.8 | 33.8% | 52.3% | 30.4% | 44.3% |
| 4 | F. Cerundolo | 160.6 | 32.7% | 54.3% | 30.9% | 42.7% |
| 5 | M. Navone | 157.0 | 33.8% | 53.6% | 30.6% | 39.0% |
When will Carlos Alcaraz return to tennis?
It remains to be seen when the seven-time Grand Slam champion will return to tennis, but Alcaraz won’t play at the Canadian Open.
That ATP Masters 1000 tournament is closely followed in the ATP calendar by another in Cincinnati, but again the 23-year-old might not be ready by then either.
A more realistic timeline could be the US Open at the end of August, but he may not want to make his comeback at such a high-profile and demanding event given his lack of action on the court.
Who has more Wimbledon titles by 2036 between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz?
They have 2 each right now…
One certainty, however, is that Alcaraz will be extremely motivated to immediately hit the ground running when he does return.
He has just witnessed Alexander Zverev win the French Open and Sinner win Wimbledon in his absence, as well as losing his world number two ranking to the German.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
