Spanish tennis sensation Carlos Alcaraz has climbed to world No. 2 in the latest ATP rankings, a surprising development given his absence from competitive play since mid-April. The 23-year-old, who has been sidelined with a severe right wrist tenosynovitis, is now targeting a return at the Cincinnati Open later this month, with an eye on the US Open.

Alcaraz’s injury forced him to withdraw from his Barcelona Open match against Tomáš Macháč almost four months ago, subsequently missing the entire clay-court and grass-court seasons. This lengthy layoff meant he was unable to defend his French Open title at Roland-Garros in June or compete at Wimbledon, where he finished runner-up last year.

Comeback on the horizon

Despite the extended break, anticipation for Alcaraz’s return is high. Rennae Stubbs, former doubles world No. 1 and Serena Williams’ coach, discussed his potential comeback on her Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast, indicating a target for his return. “Word on the street is that he is going to try and play Cincinnati,” Stubbs revealed. A strong showing there would be crucial for him to regain match sharpness ahead of the US Open early next month.

Alcaraz himself has hinted at his determination to come back stronger. Stubbs recounted a recent exchange: “Every now and again, he does respond to me on Instagram. When he was hitting balls, I did say it was great to see him back, and he said, ‘Hopefully, soon I will be hitting it harder’.” This promise suggests the Spaniard is not just aiming to return, but to elevate his game.

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Ranking shifts and Zverev’s drop

Alcaraz’s rise to No. 2 comes at the expense of Germany’s Alexander Zverev, who dropped to No. 3. Zverev, despite winning the French Open during Alcaraz’s absence and finishing runner-up at Wimbledon, saw his ranking points decrease due to a scheduling change this season. A year ago, Zverev had already reached the quarter-finals of the National Bank Open, which began later this year. As a result, he has already dropped 360 ranking points compared to his position at this time last year, even as he prepares to start the Canadian competition as top seed on Tuesday.

At the top, Jannik Sinner remains the undisputed world No. 1. Elsewhere in the top 10, Felix Auger Aliassime and Novak Djokovic hold steady at No. 4 and No. 5 respectively. Daniil Medvedev moved up one spot to No. 6, while Alex de Minaur slipped to No. 7. Flavio Cobolli achieved a career-high ranking of No. 8, Taylor Fritz rose to No. 9, and Ben Shelton fell two places to No. 10. Notable climbers outside the top 10 include Frenchman Arthur Gea, who ascended 45 places to No. 82, and Canadian Denis Shapovalov, who gained 25 spots to reach No. 43.

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