NEW YORK — Carlos Alcaraz is feeling better than he anticipated following a four-month layoff from professional tennis and is already contemplating taking extended breaks during future seasons.
The world No. 5 made his return to competitive play at the US Open after being sidelined since April due to a right wrist injury. As the defending champion, he secured a spot in the fourth round on Friday with a commanding 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 victory over Wu Yibing.
Speaking to reporters, Alcaraz confirmed that his body is responding well and he has experienced no physical setbacks after his recent 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 clarified that the injury that forced him to withdraw during the Barcelona Open was not a result of overplaying. He noted that any time off taken in the future would primarily be for mental restoration rather than physical recovery.
“I’m kind of a guy that doesn’t need to play a lot of tournaments,” Alcaraz explained, adding that he preferred to remain “mentally healthy.”
“I just feel like you can have those moments of time to have a break,” he continued, “to prepare well for tournaments, to prepare well mentally.”
On Friday, the Spanish star also debuted a new on-court look, wearing a white shirt underneath his sleeveless top, and introduced a fresh celebration involving an arrow-shooting motion.
Regarding the wardrobe adjustment, Alcaraz mentioned it was a practical choice from his 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 new victory celebration was the result of a family decision.
“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.”
Last year, Alcaraz played 80 matches, finishing with a 71-9 record and securing his seventh major championship at the Australian Open before his injury this year. He has joined other players in expressing concerns about the demanding length of the tennis calendar and the high number of required tournaments.
Unlike many of his peers, Alcaraz does not face significant ranking or financial pressure if he chooses to skip certain 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.”
While sitting out for longer periods would certainly benefit the 23-year-old physically, Alcaraz believes it will ultimately make him a happier competitor.
“I just want to step on the court, have joy, have fun on the court, because sometimes playing such a long season or playing a lot of tournaments week after week, I feel like I’m not playing with joy, I don’t have fun on the court. I just want to miss the tennis sometimes, miss the tours, miss you guys,” he stated during his news conference.
“That’s why I just want to have long breaks, because it’s impossible to last the whole season playing every tournament.”
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