Determining the timing of Carlos Alcaraz’s return to competition after withdrawing from the 2025 Shanghai Masters

“It was a challenging period, and I only had about a day and a half to recover after the first match. I’ve said this before and will say it again: I have the best physiotherapist in the world, whom I trust completely. The work he did on my ankle was amazing. Thanks to that, I could compete normally, although I was occasionally cautious with some movements. Overall, I played very well.”

Immediately after winning in Tokyo, Alcaraz shared in a video that he would be unable to participate in this year’s Rolex Shanghai Masters: “I am truly disappointed to announce that I won’t compete at the Shanghai Masters 2025. Unfortunately, I am facing some physical issues. After discussing with my coaching staff, we believe the best decision is to rest and recover. I look forward to returning to play in front of the fantastic fans in Shanghai and hope to see Chinese supporters again next year.”

According to Marca (Spain), Alcaraz is expected to be fully recovered to participate in the Six Kings Slam — the second exhibition event held in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) from October 15 to 18. The six top players in this event will each receive fees up to 1.5 million USD, with the champion earning an additional 4.5 million USD prize.

Before traveling to Riyadh, Alcaraz will reunite with his head coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, after training with assistant coach Samuel Lopez since winning the US Open.

After the Six Kings Slam, the world No. 1 will enter a demanding end-of-season period featuring major tournaments: Paris Masters (October 27–November 2), ATP Finals (November 9–16), and Davis Cup Finals (November 18–23).

Alcaraz’s comeback is expected to signal a strong finish to the year for the young Spanish player, who is on a mission to reinforce his dominant position in the global tennis scene.