"With fans in the stands and cameras clicking and your heart ticking" - Rick Macci assesses chances of absent star making US Open comeback

Competing on the big stage is a completely different realm from stepping onto a practice court. Those thoughts were echoes by Rick Macci who threw a shade of caution over Carlos Alcaraz's possible return at the US Open.

The Spaniard has been out since April following a nasty wrist injury picked up in the first round of the Barcelona Open. A busy clay swing was heavily impacted with title defences at the Rome Open and Roland Garros ruled out. Wimbledon would also be sacrificed with the North American hardcourt swing now under threat.

Many would have predicted for him to have comeback by now, but the concerns are very much there surrounding the 23-year-old who has still not fully recovered from the face of it seems a much more serious injury than first pictured.

The Canadian Open was skipped for the second year running, in the bigger picture showing the problems the ATP Tour is suffering with injuries and withdrawals becoming a lot more regular in these big tournaments. The Cincinnati Open title defence has been ruled out as well with all eyes on Alcaraz's next move.

It is a tall order for Alcaraz to get back in the thick of things in a Grand Slam. He may throw himself straight into the deep end, risking his body for Grand Slam glory.

He was a convincing winner last time out, taking down his rival Jannik Sinner with a glittering performance that caught a lot of attention and seized the World No.1 spot back. He has obviously lost that, and quite convincingly to Sinner who has motored away while Alcaraz watches from afar, mopping up most of the big titles on offer that were sure to be challenged by the pair.

The action at Flushing Meadows commences from Sunday 30th August, leaving just a few more weeks of recovery. Time is running out and the questions swirling round Alcaraz in this current moment in time are all based on his wrist problem and his match fitness and sharpness.

The prospect of playing a best-of-five contest in your first match in over four months is a daunting thought and one that could put the seven-time Grand Slam champion off from challenging for an eighth.

Macci has been through these situations before while coaching the best players in the world. In total he has guided five former World No.1's to immense heights, including the Williams sisters, and is very knowledgeable on the sport with the experience to back it up.

On X, he gave his honest thoughts on an Alcaraz comeback in New York. "Carlos practicing ripping shipping dripping and flipping full speed is the next step," he wrote. "IF he plays the U.S.OPEN which I feel is 50/50 then the journey begins."

Emphasising the difference between practice and match play, this left him with some doubt in his mind over how realistic it was. "Live combat is very very different for any soldier in the battlefield than the practice field. With fans in the stands and cameras clicking and your heart ticking the nervous system which has been flatlined for 6 months is jolted with lightning strikes of thunder and then the mind can start to wonder."

There is an ATP 250 tournament beginning before the US Open in Winston-Salem that Alcaraz could tackle in preparation for the major event but even that does not look likely. With the days coming and going before the fourth and final Grand Slam of the year, all eyes are on Alcaraz and his pivotal decision.