Mid-Season Tennis Injury Report: Alcaraz Delays Return as Raducanu Eyes Hard-Court Comeback

The transition from the grueling European grass-court season to the North American hard-court swing is officially underway, but the ATP and WTA tours are currently defined as much by who is missing as who is playing. A mounting injury crisis has sidelined several of the sport's biggest stars, forcing players and their medical teams to make difficult decisions about load management ahead of the US Open.

The most prominent absence remains World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz, who has officially withdrawn from the upcoming Canadian Open in Montreal. The Spaniard has been sidelined for nearly three months since sustaining a severe right wrist injury during the Barcelona Open in April, an issue that forced him to miss the French Open and Wimbledon.[1][4]

While Alcaraz recently shared encouraging training videos from his practice court in Murcia—showing him using an unstrung racket frame to replicate his forehand mechanics without stressing the joint—his medical team has opted for extreme caution. Pundits and former players have noted the historically severe impact of wrist injuries on tennis careers, prompting Alcaraz to target a potential return at the Cincinnati Masters to regain rhythm before New York.[1]

On the WTA side, there is more optimistic news regarding Emma Raducanu. After a lower-right leg "niggle" developed into a stress fracture that forced her to withdraw from her home Grand Slam at Wimbledon, the British star has provided a welcome update. Recent social media posts show Raducanu has successfully ditched her crutches and walking boot, signaling a transition into active rehabilitation.

Raducanu is now targeting a comeback at the National Bank Open in Toronto, which begins in early August. Before the stress fracture, she had enjoyed a promising start to her grass season, reaching her first WTA 500 final at the Queen's Club Championships. Her return in Toronto will be a crucial test of her physical readiness for the grueling hard-court conditions.

The physical toll of the recent Wimbledon Championships is still reverberating across the men's tour. Hubert Hurkacz suffered a devastating setback during his fourth-round match against Jan-Lennard Struff. Leading by two sets, the Polish star experienced sudden back pain and an abdominal muscle problem that made it impossible to continue, forcing a heartbreaking retirement.

Hurkacz described the injury as a sudden, unfamiliar muscle issue that occurred with a single movement. Medical tests are ongoing to determine the severity, but the retirement marked a frustrating repeat of his 2024 Wimbledon exit, which also ended in injury. His status for the early North American hard-court events remains highly uncertain.

Similarly, Matteo Berrettini has been forced to pause his season after a grueling five-set loss to Grigor Dimitrov at Wimbledon. The Italian, who had to retire from his Roland Garros quarterfinal due to left hip pain, saw the issue flare up again in London. Diagnosed with chronic hip pain, Berrettini has withdrawn from July clay events in Gstaad and Kitzbühel to focus entirely on repairing the injury for the US Open swing.[2]

The grass-court major also saw the abrupt end to Serena Williams' highly anticipated, brief return to the sport. Competing in singles four years after her official retirement, Williams twisted her knee during a first-round loss to Maya Joint. The injury forced her to withdraw from a planned doubles reunion with her sister Venus, leaving the 24-time Grand Slam champion "heartbroken" and sidelined once again.[3]

The sheer volume of injuries has reignited debates about the sustainability of the tennis calendar. Players like Jack Draper, who is nursing his own left arm injury, have publicly called for the tour to adapt to protect player longevity. As the sport moves toward the final major of the year, the focus for many top athletes has shifted from winning titles to simply surviving the physical demands of the modern game.