New York, September 3, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Carlos Alcaraz has said he plans to take longer breaks from the tennis circuit in the future, arguing that the increasingly crowded calendar makes it “impossible” for players to compete in every mandatory tournament without risking fatigue and injuries.
The defending US Open champion made the comments after reaching the third round at Flushing Meadows with a four-set victory over Portugal’s Jaime Faria. Alcaraz recovered from losing the opening set to win 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The Spaniard, who recently returned to competitive action following a four-month layoff caused by a wrist injury, said he did not want such a long break to come because of an injury but expects to voluntarily step away from the tour for shorter periods.
“I took more than I wanted, to be honest, but seeing how tight the calendar is, obviously I don’t want to have this break because of an injury. 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,” Alcaraz said.
He argued that the number of important tournaments has increased while players are required to participate in several Masters 1000 events and Grand Slams.
“You can decide your calendar, but there are some Masters 1000s, some Grand Slams, and we’ve been out playing 40 weeks if we got to play every mandatory tournament that the ATP requires us to play,” he said.
Alcaraz warned that the demanding schedule could result in more injuries and player fatigue if changes are not made.
“We are seeing a lot of players getting injured, a lot of players getting tired. If they don’t do anything about it, we are going to see even more in the future,” he added.
Against Faria, Alcaraz responded strongly after a shaky opening set, winning eight consecutive games and breaking serve repeatedly to take control. He finished with 43 winners and converted seven of 12 break-point opportunities.
The victory extended Alcaraz’s Grand Slam winning streak to 16 matches and improved his US Open record to 26-3. The third-seeded Spaniard is bidding to become the first man since Roger Federer, who won five consecutive US Open titles from 2004 to 2008, to successfully defend the championship.
A two-time US Open champion, Alcaraz first won the New York major in 2022 before lifting the trophy again in 2025. Earlier this year, he became the youngest man to complete a Career Grand Slam at the age of 22.
Alcaraz, who is 9-0 at Grand Slam tournaments in 2026, will next face China’s Wu Yibing, who defeated Australia’s James Duckworth in straight sets. Alcaraz leads their head-to-head record 1-0, with their only previous meeting coming in Shanghai in 2024.
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