A publicity stunt? Greg Rusedski states why Carlos Alcaraz US Open singles return may not occur

Carlos Alcaraz announcing his ambitions to compete in the US Open singles event was first met by a huge triumphant roar by tennis fans. As the news started to settle, many are questioning whether it is the wisest move. One of the loudest is former finalist Greg Rusedski who branded it as a 'publicity stunt' while lamenting his lack of competitive preparation ahead of the tournament.

The event at Flushing Meadows will take place from August 30-September 13. That gives Alcaraz exactly a week of vigorous training to get himself in the best shape possible to compete. It is his first tournament since the Barcelona Open back in mid-April, the tournament that dented his whole 2026 campaign following a detrimental wrist injury.

The ATP US Open is a very wide open affair with the champion possibly coming from anywhere. Jannik Sinner was the huge favourite to win the title, but since his withdrawal due to a right knee injury, this has opened the door for someone opportunistic. Alcaraz should be the favourite, but the mystery surrounding how fit and sharp he is will not be confirmed until he steps onto the court.

Novak Djokovic struggled in Cincinnati but will be focused on the task at hand in New York with a 25th Grand Slam on the line. The number one seed Alexander Zverev has not been in great form as of late, and the same could be said for Felix Auger-Aliassime, Alex de Minaur and Daniil Medvedev. American duo Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton each won a title in the North American hardcourt swing but their latest involvement in Ohio has not been totally convincing with outside names including Rafael Jodar, Arthur Fils, Flavio Cobolli and Frances Tiafoe who are all in great form.

The news of Alcaraz return was announced on Thursday, 20th August. Three days later, and the reactions have started pouring in, mostly surrounding whether he is making the correct decision. Rusedski was confused by the thinking behind it, as he discussed on his Off Court podcast.

“I mean, you have got to think, why would you start back with a wrist injury in three out of five sets?” he questioned. “I would be very surprised if he plays in the singles, but he says ‘I’m back’.

“I’m surprised. You know, this is where it’s questionable. That’s why I think the relationship might have split with Juan Carlos Ferrero, because I don’t think he would have allowed him to take this sort of risk if he’s not 100% right."

He continued to doubt Alcaraz's motive of defending his title in New York, even wondering whether it was some sort of publicity stunt. “I hope he’s healthy. I hope he’s able to play the US Open. But I’m not sure this is the smartest thing, unless it’s just a publicity stunt.”

It is most certainly a risk for Alcaraz. Having not played for over four months in a competitive scenery before being thrown in at the deep end in a best-of-five format in one of the biggest tournaments on the tennis calendar.

The former World No.4 was adamant in his belief that he will pull out of the singles tournament. “I don’t think he’s going to play. I think he says he’s back, but I think he might just participate in the mixed doubles. I would be shocked if he plays in the singles. He has lost early when he hasn’t played tournaments for a long time. It’s one thing to practice. It’s another thing to play an event.

“He’s the biggest star in men’s tennis. No question about it. He’s an amalgamation of the big three. It’s Djokovic, Federer, and Nadal combined into one player, which is unheard of. So he is our biggest star in the sport, and we all want to see him back. I’d be very surprised [if he plays].”

Alcaraz will be playing before the singles main draw starts, but not in a singles competition at Winston-Salem or something along those lines. Instead, he will partner 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams in a blockbuster partnership at the US Open mixed doubles event.

This will be the first chance for tennis fans to see Alcaraz compete in the flesh ahead of his highly anticipated singles title defence. Rusedski believed that the mixed doubles was less than ideal preparation.

“The mixed doubles, no disrespect, but that’s not a proper tennis event,” he continued. “That’s half a court. That’s a little bit of, you know, social giggle trying to win a major tournament, which is still very special, but it’s not the same thing as playing singles where you have to cover the whole court.”

He once again stressed the importance of proper preparation. “You need to have that lead-up event. If he was playing in Winston-Salem this week, I’d say, okay, yeah, the US Open looks likely. But I don’t see that happening right now, and that’s why I’m just thinking this is maybe publicity. We want him back, but we want him healthy for a decade. We don’t want him back for a week, and oh my gosh, he tweaks it somehow in a three-out-of-five set match in the second or third round. That would be the worst-case scenario.”