Carlos Alcaraz, the reigning U.S. Open champion and favorite, twisted his right ankle during a practice session but remains optimistic about participating and aiming for a third consecutive Grand Slam title, despite minimal hard-court practice. He is not worried about the injury.
As the third seed, the 21-year-old Spanish player will debut in the US Open against Li Tu, who ranks 188th, on Tuesday at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.
He will face a challenging path in the U.S. Open, potentially facing notable players like Jannik Sinner, Novac Djokovic, Alex de Miñaur, and Hubert Hurkacz in later rounds.
The U.S. Open is played at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City on hard courts. Women play best-of-three-set matches, while men play best-of-five-set matches over 14 days with separate day and night sessions. The prize money has increased to a record $75 million.
Jannik Sinner, the world number one, tested positive twice for low levels of a metabolite of clostebol, a banned anabolic steroid, in March but avoided a ban by claiming accidental contamination. Djokovic and Alcaraz questioned the decision, citing a lack of consistency and potential double standards.
Alcaraz had a remarkable year, winning a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics and surpassing Djokovic as the highest-paid tennis player, earning $42.3 million ($10.3 million from on-court performances and $32 million from sponsorships and deals).
Other top earners in the ATP and WTA circuits include Sinner ($26.6 million), Rafael Nadal ($23.3 million), Daniil Medvedev ($20.3 million), Casper Ruud ($13.9 million), Coco Gauff ($27.1 million), Iga Swiatek ($26.7 million), Naomi Osaka ($14.6 million), and Arnya Sabalenka ($13.7 million).
The top 10 highest-earning tennis players collectively made around $246 million in the past year, significantly lower than the record set in 2020 when Federer and Williams alone earned $142 million. The average age of the top 10 highest-earning players was 26 years.
Alcaraz's rapid rise has attracted several renowned global brands to partner with him, and a documentary about his career is scheduled for release on Netflix in 2025.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq
Sources: Sports Inquirer, Independent, AP, El Pais, Republic World, Fox News, Fanatik.ro, Essentially Sports, tennisworldusa.org, timesnownews.com, sportbuzz.com.br