Alcaraz began the season on a high note, defeating Novak Djokovic over four sets to establish himself as only the ninth male player in the Open era to secure a career Grand Slam.
Although he secured a victory at the Qatar Open in February, his momentum slowed with a semifinal exit at Indian Wells in March, followed by a third-round defeat at the Miami Open.
In their only encounter of the season to date, Sinner overtook him at the top of the world rankings by defeating him in the final of the Monte Carlo Masters in April.
Following that, Alcaraz was able to participate in only a single match in Barcelona before suffering a wrist injury.
Sidelined for most of the clay-court tournaments and skipping the grass-court season entirely due to his wrist ailment, Alcaraz carefully resumed his training program in July.
On August 4, he was seen practicing during a session in Spain, yet he withdrew from the Cincinnati Open just twenty-four hours later.
During his recent practice sessions on his home courts in Murcia, he has been using a protective forearm sleeve while sparring with Holger Rune.
The Danish player Rune, who shares a close friendship with Alcaraz, is also back on the practice court following an Achilles tendon rupture in October of the previous year.
Because wrist issues are famously difficult for tennis professionals to overcome without proper rehabilitation, Alcaraz noted back in April that he wished to avoid causing long-term damage that could impact his upcoming schedule.
Former US Open titleholder Dominic Thiem ended his professional career in late 2024 after struggling to recover from a severe wrist injury, echoing the struggles of Juan Martin del Potro, whose career was similarly disrupted by persistent wrist issues following his lone Grand Slam victory at Flushing Meadows in 2009.
