Carlos Alcaraz complaint leads to major tournament change ahead of injury return

An ATP 1000 event has implemented a major change after Carlos Alcaraz complained about an aspect of the tournament.

Alcaraz has been sidelined since April with an injury to his right wrist, which resulted in him withdrawing from the Barcelona Open before missing both the French Open and Wimbledon.

He was also sidelined for other tour events, such as the Italian Open and Queen’s, although he is expected to return to court in August ahead of the US Open.

Before then, Alcaraz will likely compete in the Cincinnati Open, defending the title he won at the Masters event in 2025.

Alcaraz won the 2025 edition of the tournament after Jannik Sinner pulled out of the final due to illness in the first set.

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Despite winning the Cincinnati event last year, Alcaraz complained about the final being played on a Monday rather than on a Sunday, in line with most other major tennis tournaments.

“It is going to be weird playing a final on a Monday,” he said at the time.

“I am going to feel like, what is going on? I don’t know. It’s a different feeling.

“I love playing the final on Sunday. But it’s everything that you have to see from another perspective because, as I say, I am going to have dinner late, I am going to have treatment late, and go to bed late.

“So having that day is going to be much better to be ready for Monday. But at the same time, we are used to seeing a final on Sunday, and it’s going to be weird.”

Organisers have seemingly listened to the world No. 3’s complaints by moving the final to Sunday, August 23.

The event will now take place over an 11-day period. But Alcaraz may be handed a logistical nightmare if he goes all the way to the final, as the US Open Mixed Doubles Challenge is set to commence on Tuesday, August 25.

Last year, Alcaraz flew from Cincinnati to New York to partner with Emma Raducanu without a rest day.

When will Carlos Alcaraz return to tennis?

According to Spanish outlet La Verdad, Alcaraz’s team are getting him ready to feature in Cincinnati, although he will definitely miss the ATP Masters 1000 in Montreal earlier in August.

The outlet reports: “Alcaraz's team has chosen to focus all their efforts on arriving in the best possible condition for Cincinnati, a tournament that begins in mid-August. Before that, he will need to be medically cleared, and the plan is for Dr Ángel Ruiz-Cotorro to grant it this week. He saw him last Friday in Barcelona, and the impressions were very positive. The wrist is healthy, completely healed, and they will gradually increase the training load.”

Alexander Zverev and Sinner have won the two majors since Alcaraz was sidelined.