Reasons behind Carlos Alcaraz US Open defeat unveiled - and it has nothing to do with the wrist

Tennis fans will be relieved to hear the reasons behind Carlos Alcaraz's thrilling five-set defeat against Ben Shelton at the US Open was not due to the wrist injury he had been managing. According to Rennae Stubbs, the seven-time Grand Slam champion had run out of steam in the latter stages of the match, corresponding to the lengthy contest and lack of matches competed in.

Alcaraz had sceptics when confirming his intentions of competing at the US Open. From the off, they were silenced with the 23-year-old slowly building himself back to contention with the favourite status for the title slanting towards him.

He had Shelton in his way at the quarter-finals stage, an opponent that had never defeated him. Alcaraz looked to keep that record going but found himself 2-1 down and under the cosh. A quick fourth set got him back on level terms as the pair ploughed on into the night.

Throwing up at 2am showcased what a tough and gruelling match it was for Alcaraz, who gave it his all on court against a determined and motivated opponent. A super tiebreak was called upon, in which Shelton managed to keep the American dream alive.

Alcaraz was gutted not to have prevailed but still managed to spawn a smile on court and as he wandered away, proud of his work in New York and in the knowledge that he was back.

The former No.1 in doubles, Stubbs watched on with intrigue like many other tennis fans as Alcaraz departed from the fourth and final Grand Slam of 2026. All the worry and concern were swept to one side as the two-time US Open champion proved that he was capable of challenging for the biggest rewards even without playing a match in over four months.

It was the Barcelona Open in mid-April that was the scene of the injury. He had worked hard to get back, and after a number of false horizons, Alcaraz was on court again at Flushing Meadows.

Serena Williams coach commented on the aftermath of the last-eight defeat on the Rennae Stubbs Tennis podcast, confirming that the wrist was doing just fine.

“He ran out of gas," the Aussie stated. "I actually had a little text with him a couple of days after and he said the arm was really good. So that’s really positive for him. But he was knackered. He hadn’t played a five set match in four months."

Stubbs went on to mention how Alcaraz exited the US Open with dignity and pride. “Did you see the face that he had when he walked off the court smiling? You know, everyone walks off that court, they’ve either got a towel over their head or they’re like pouting or they’re like throwing rackets or whatever.

“This guy walks off with a smile on his face. He just he’s so happy just to be healthy. And he loved every second of that warrior battle till 3.30 in the morning. If you don’t like Carlos Alcaraz, I’m sorry. We can’t be friends. Because this guy is the best.”

Alcaraz will want to get his match sharpness boosted ahead of the Asian swing. The Japan Open and Shanghai Masters will be prioritised, but first up is the Laver Cup. Alcaraz will partner with Team Europe once more as he looks to lead them to glory, getting revenge on Team World's triumph last time out.