Alcaraz to take future breaks, warns packed tennis schedule causes injuries

Carlos Alcaraz has announced plans to take extended breaks from the tennis tour in the future, warning that the sport's packed schedule is leading to a rise in player injuries. The world No. 3 made the comments after advancing to the third round of the US Open on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, defeating Portugal's Jaime Faria 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 in a second-round match at Flushing Meadows. Alcaraz, who is the defending champion, returned to competition at this tournament after missing nearly five months, including the French Open and Wimbledon, due to a wrist injury. He stated that while he did not want the enforced layoff, the experience has influenced his future approach. "Seeing how tight the calendar is, obviously I don't want to have this break because of an injury," Alcaraz told reporters. "But in the future, I'm going to take some breaks, some long breaks. Maybe not four months, but one month, two months, missing some tournaments because it's impossible to play them all." The Spaniard pointed to the structure of the professional calendar as a core issue.