Key Takeaways
- Dominic Thiem praised Carlos Alcaraz for his patience and proper handling of injury management.
- Thiem noted that “with an injury, you need a lot of patience,” reflecting on the lessons learned from his own rehabilitation process.
- The former major champion admitted that while he did not compete immediately, returning to practice too soon hurt his recovery: “Everything Carlos did right, I did wrong.”
Dominic Thiem praises Carlos Alcaraz for his patient recovery approach
Dominic Thiem has commended Carlos Alcaraz for his measured and cautious approach to managing physical setbacks, drawing a sharp contrast with the choices he made during his own career.
Reflecting on how modern players navigate recovery, Thiem highlighted that stepping away from competition requires discipline and restraint. “I expected him to really take his time, to manage the injury well, and I think he has done it,” Thiem said regarding Alcaraz’s injury management.
The danger of rushing back into training
Physical setbacks can often derail a player’s momentum, and Thiem knows the psychological and physical toll better than most. The former US Open champion underscored the critical virtue required during rehabilitation periods.
“With an injury, you need a lot of patience,” Thiem explained, stressing that full healing demands time away from both matches and premature practice sessions.
Looking back at his own experience, Thiem candidly admitted that his eagerness to prepare contributed to setbacks. While he avoided immediate competition, he resumed on-court preparation far earlier than he should have.
“I didn’t return to playing very soon, but I did go back to training,” the Austrian revealed, before offering a blunt self-assessment when comparing his decisions to those of the young Spaniard: “Everything Carlos did right, I did wrong.”
Thiem on Alcaraz’s injury:
"I expected him to really take his time, to manage the injury well, and I think he has done it. With an injury, you need a lot of patience. I didn’t return to playing very soon, but I did go back to training. Everything Carlos did right, I did wrong."
— Alcaraz Updates🐝 @alcarazzupdates (@alcarazzupdates) September 7, 2026
ATP U.S. Open - Carlos Alcaraz's projected path
Alcaraz at the U.S. Open, ranking, and results in 2026
At the moment ranked no.3, Alcaraz owns an overall 26-3 record in 2026. Alcaraz is currently competing at the U.S. Open where he beat the world no.99 Roman Safiullin 6-4 6-4 6-4, the world no.72 Jaime Faria 4-6 6-0 6-3 6-2, the world no.113 Yibing Wu 6-3 6-4 6-1 and the world no.21 Tommy Paul 6-4 6-3 6-4.
Carlos Alcaraz will compete against the world no.9 Ben Shelton in the quarter on Tuesday at 1:00 pm on Arthur Ashe Stadium. Their actual record is 3-0 for Alcaraz.
Alcaraz conquered 2 titles in 2026 at the Australian Open and Doha.
The Spaniard won 27 titles in his career: 10 on hard courts, 11 on clay courts, 2 on indoor courts and 4 on grass courts. (See the list of his titles)
