“Did he start early enough?”: Mouratoglou identifies Carlos Alcaraz’s biggest problem before US Open

Sunday, 16 August 2026 at 20:00

Carlos Alcaraz has stepped up his training in recent days as he races to prove he is ready to defend his US Open title, with footage of the Spaniard hitting and serving offering encouraging signs after more than four months away from competition.

However, Patrick Mouratoglou believes the positive images only tell part of the story. The French coach understands why Alcaraz's Cincinnati withdrawal surprised some observers, but warned that being able to hit the ball in practice is very different from being physically prepared to compete through a Grand Slam.

Alcaraz withdrew from Cincinnati, where he had been expected to make his return, after already pulling out of the Canadian Open. He remains on the US Open entry list, but the defending champion has not played since withdrawing before his second-round match against Tomas Machac in Barcelona in April.

The 23-year-old has therefore been forced to prepare for the final Grand Slam of the season without a competitive match since the spring, leaving questions over whether he can suddenly handle the intensity of best-of-five-set tennis for two weeks. Mouratoglou believes the recent training footage is encouraging, but that the timing of Alcaraz's return makes the situation much more complicated.

Mouratoglou explains why Alcaraz's preparation is different

Alcaraz's training has looked increasingly intense, with the Spaniard appearing able to strike his forehand and serve with much of the explosiveness that has helped him win seven Grand Slam titles.

For Mouratoglou, however, that does not necessarily mean he is ready to compete. “I understand people were surprised when Carlos withdrew from Cincinnati because they think, ‘Oh, he can hit the ball, he should be able to compete.’ It's not that simple," the Frenchman said in a video posted on his Instagram account. "There are good reasons to be optimistic.”

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The former coach of Serena Williams believes the footage coming out of Alcaraz's camp is encouraging, but stressed that the Spaniard has only recently returned to this level of training after spending months away from competition.

“It's great to see Carlos practicing, hitting the ball, being intense and everything. It looks like a normal preparation,” Mouratoglou added. “The thing is this happened just a few days ago and a Grand Slam is around the corner and did he start early enough?”

Mouratoglou's concern is not necessarily whether Alcaraz can reproduce his best shots for a training session. It is whether his body has had enough time to adapt to repeatedly producing that level of intensity.

“You know, he's probably super tired, super sore. He should be able to do that for two, three weeks in a row to be ready for a Grand Slam.”

Carlos Alcaraz holds the 2025 US Open trophy.

That is where the lack of a comeback tournament becomes particularly significant. Alcaraz has already missed the entire clay-court swing and Wimbledon, while the Canadian Open and Cincinnati were both expected to provide opportunities to test his fitness before the US Open.

“The preparation is going to be way too short when you're out for such a long time, hitting the ball that hard every single day. To come back to it, it's painful. You need time for the body to get used to it and even more in competition.”

Alcaraz still has another concern to solve

There is also an important detail missing from much of the footage released around Alcaraz's return, according to Mouratoglou. While the Spaniard has been shown hitting extensively from the baseline, there has been less evidence of him serving at maximum intensity.

“We've seen a lot of footage of him hitting from the baseline. We don't see him serve fully,” the former Serena Williams coach said. “When you serve full power, this is where the wrist works the most and this is probably the most traumatic. So in general, you wait before starting to serve fully.”

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Alcaraz enters the final weeks before the US Open at No. 3 in the world after being unable to defend his Cincinnati title from 2025. He began 2026 strongly, winning the Australian Open and Doha Open, and has a 23-2 record for the season, but his long absence has completely changed the context around his title defence in New York.

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He has never missed the US Open since making his main-draw debut in 2021. This time, however, he could arrive without a single competitive match in more than four months.

For now, the training footage provides reasons for optimism. But as Mouratoglou's assessment makes clear, the bigger question is whether Alcaraz has enough time for his body to catch up with the level of tennis he is already trying to produce.

Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist

Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.

His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.

In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.

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