Carlos Alcaraz made a strong return to tennis after four and a half months away, reaching the quarterfinals of the 2026 US Open. Although he did not win the tournament, he performed well, losing only one set along the way against Roman Safiullin, Jaime Faria, Wu Yibing, and Tommy Paul. His run ended in a dramatic five-set match against Ben Shelton in the quarterfinals.
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Despite his successful return, Alcaraz faced criticism for choosing to compete in the Laver Cup instead of representing Spain in the Davis Cup. However, legendary coach Rick Macci, who previously worked with Serena Williams, supported Alcaraz's decision. He noted that returning to clay courts for the Davis Cup would not have been ideal.
Macci expressed on X that Alcaraz made a smart choice by opting for the Laver Cup, stating, "No need to flip the script from hard to clay just to play." He also highlighted Spain's successful Davis Cup tie against Chile, which took place on clay, without Alcaraz, featuring Rafael Jodar in his debut for the national team.
Looking ahead, Alcaraz has a busy schedule lined up, including the Laver Cup, Japan Open, Shanghai Masters, Six Kings Slam, Paris Masters, ATP Finals, and potentially the Davis Cup Finals before the season concludes in November. Macci emphasized the importance of Alcaraz taking time to recover, noting that the player and his team know what is best for him.
Currently ranked No. 3 in the ATP Tour, Alcaraz is defending his title at the Japan Open in September and managing his ranking points as he approaches the final tournaments of the season. He will be competing with Team Europe at the Laver Cup from September 25th to 27th.