Alcaraz posts training videos and shows braided hair

Carlos Alcaraz has posted his most encouraging training footage yet as he recovers from a wrist injury, signaling a potential return to competition next month. The two-time Wimbledon champion, who has been sidelined since April, also debuted a new braided hairstyle that has sparked widespread discussion among tennis fans.

The 23-year-old Spaniard shared videos this week showing him hitting groundstrokes at full intensity on an outdoor hard court. This marks significant progress in his rehabilitation from right wrist tenosynovitis, which he sustained at the Barcelona Open on April 14. The injury forced him to withdraw from that event and subsequently miss the entire clay and grass court seasons, including the French Open and Wimbledon, tournaments he was defending champion at in Madrid and Roland Garros.

Alcaraz has not confirmed a specific return date, but his name appears on the entry list for the Cincinnati Open, scheduled for August 11-23. He is not entered in the National Bank Open in Montreal, the preceding Masters 1000 event, indicating a targeted comeback in Cincinnati as the final major tune-up before the US Open. The US Open, where Alcaraz is the defending champion,...