"I am pleasantly surprised and my suspicions were wrong" - Andy Roddick happy to be incorrect after latest US Open injury update

After months of waiting, tennis fans will finally see Carlos Alcaraz back in action. The news was announced that the 23-year-old would return to tennis at the US Open following a long period on the sidelines with a wrist injury. The tedious recovery progress made Andy Roddick, among others, doubt his participation at Flushing Meadows. His suspicions have proven to be wrong, and he is very glad about it.

Alcaraz's 2026 season came crashing down around him after he felt a spike of pain in his wrist enroute to a round one win at the Barcelona Open. He opted to withdraw from the event not to complete anymore damage. The withdrawals kept on coming as the severity of the issue became clear.

He skipped the whole of the clay swing, sacrificing titles defences in Rome and Paris before missing out on challenging for a third Wimbledon title. His wait prolonged deep into the North American hardcourt swing with the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open both ruled out.

However, after all that hard work, patience and persistence, the seven-time Grand Slam champion is set to make his welcoming return to tennis. He is the defending US Open champion with a lot of mystery surrounding him.

Roddick was very much of the thinking that Alcaraz would not be attending the US Open. The former World No.1 and 2003 champion spoke on the imminent news on his podcast Served as he shared his delight on the situation.

"I am pleasantly surprised and my suspicions were wrong. I am very excited. He is the most exciting player in tennis. You never really know what to expect with him," he stated.

He emphasised how encouraging it was from a physical point of view. "If he plays, I have to think that the risk of a more serious injury is practically zero. He seems to accept the fact that his legs might be tired and that he hasn't played much. He could lose in the first or second round, but he goes anyway. That's fantastic, it's a great win for tennis."

With his arch rival, Jannik Sinner, also suffering from some injury issues as of late, the doomed case of neither of them appearing at Flushing Meadows would have been a disaster for the tournament. "In the worst case, if there had been neither Sinner nor Alcaraz, it would have been a nightmare," Roddick said.

Before the singles main draw starts, there is still the mixed doubles to be played the week beforehand. Roddick urged Alcaraz to participate in it to get some much needed court time under his belt, albeit in doubles not singles.

"I think he should play mixed doubles if he can. I don't know his progress or how his team organises his training, but it could be a good thing," he said. Rumours of Alcaraz partnering Serena Williams have been swirling around. That would be one of the main attractions ahead of the singles event kicking off.