Carlos Alcaraz has announced he will deliberately skip tournaments in the coming seasons, warning that the ATP's increasingly crowded calendar makes it 'impossible' for players to contest every mandatory event without courting injury and burnout. The World No. 3 made the remarks on 3 September after advancing to the third round of the 2026 US Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium, New York.

What Alcaraz Said

Speaking after his 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 victory over Portugal's Jaime Faria, Alcaraz was candid about his intentions. 'I took more than I wanted, to be honest, but seeing how tight is the calendar, obviously I don't want to have this break because an injury. But in the future, I'm going to take some breaks, some long breaks. Maybe not four months, but one month, two months, missing some tournaments, because it's impossible to play them all,' the defending champion said.

The 22-year-old Spaniard had just returned from a four-month layoff caused by a wrist injury — a hiatus he described as longer than he would have chosen voluntarily. His remarks signal a deliberate shift in how he intends to manage his schedule going forward.

The Calendar Problem

Alcaraz pointed specifically to the expanding roster of high-stakes events as the root of the problem. 'I think they adding more important tournaments. In a way they making us to play,' he said. 'You can decide your calendar, but there are some Masters 1000s, some Grand Slams, and we've been out playing 40 weeks if we got to play every mandatory tournament that the ATP required us to play.'

He issued a pointed warning about the consequences of inaction: 'We are seeing a lot of players getting injured, a lot of players getting tired. If they don't do anything about it, we are going to see even more in the future.' This comes amid a broader debate across professional tennis about player welfare, with several top-ranked names having missed extended stretches in recent seasons due to physical breakdowns.

The Match: Alcaraz Recovers Sharply

On court, Alcaraz showed few lasting signs of his lengthy absence. After dropping the opening set 4-6 to a composed Faria, he responded with a clinical dismantling of the Portuguese — winning eight consecutive games and breaking Faria's serve five times in a row to take the third set 6-3. He finished with 43 winners against Faria's 27 and converted seven of 12 break-point opportunities.

The victory extended Alcaraz's Grand Slam winning streak to 16 matches and improved his US Open record to 26-3, the highest win tally among the four majors for the Spaniard.

Historic Pursuit in New York

Alcaraz is now chasing a feat that has not been achieved since Roger Federer won five consecutive US Open titles between 2004 and 2008 — successfully defending the crown. The Spaniard is a two-time champion at Flushing Meadows, having claimed his first major title there in 2022 before his 2025 triumph. Earlier in 2026, he became the youngest man in history to complete the Career Grand Slam, achieving the milestone at just 22.

Standing at 9-0 at the majors in 2026, Alcaraz next faces China's Wu Yibing, who defeated James Duckworth 7-5, 6-3, 6-1. Alcaraz leads their Lexus ATP Head2Head series 1-0, their only prior meeting having taken place in Shanghai in 2024.

What Comes Next

Whether the ATP responds to Alcaraz's concerns — and those of other players — with structural calendar reform remains to be seen. The governing body has faced mounting pressure from players, coaches, and medical staff to reduce the mandatory-event burden. For now, Alcaraz appears determined to take matters into his own hands, even if that means accepting ranking-point penalties for skipping designated events.