Carlos Alcaraz’s 2026 season has been severely derailed, but he still has the chance to create career history upon his return from his wrist injury.

The Spaniard suffered a wrist injury at the Barcelona Open, which has kept him out of action for the rest of the clay court swing, including the Italian Open and Roland Garros.

Alcaraz confirmed he would not be able to compete on the grass, either, as he announced his withdrawal from Queen’s and Wimbledon.

Despite his lengthy lay-off from tennis, the Spaniard can still etch his name in tennis history when he returns to the sport later this season.

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Alcaraz has the opportunity to complete the Golden Career Masters still, a feat which has only ever been achieved by Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner.

The feat is achieved by winning all nine of the Masters titles on the ATP Tour, which Djokovic has achieved twice over during his glittering career.

Sinner, meanwhile, achieved the feat by defeating Casper Ruud to win the Italian Open on home soil, becoming the youngest man to win all nine Masters titles.

Alcaraz has just three Masters titles left to complete the achievement and they all come in the second part of the season, thankfully for the Spaniard.

Carlos Alcaraz’s record at the nine Masters events

• Indian Wells – W
• Miami Open – W
• Monte-Carlo Masters – W
• Madrid Open – W
• Italian Open – W
• Canadian Open – QF
• Cincinnati Open – W
• Shanghai Masters – QF
• Paris Masters – QF

That means, in theory, the World No. 2 could still end the year by becoming just the third man in history to earn the Career Golden Slam.

Alcaraz needs to win the Canadian Open, the Shanghai Masters, and the Paris Masters in order to match Djokovic and Sinner’s incredible achievement.

While it is unlikely, particularly due to how rusty Alcaraz will be upon his return, it is not entirely out of the question. Sinner skipped the Canadian Open last season, which would ultimately make Alcaraz the favourite.

Likewise, the Shanghai Masters often comes at a time when players are severely burned out from the hectic ATP Tour schedule. The last four years have been won by first-time winners, including Valentin Vacherot’s remarkable win last season.

The Paris Masters could be the most difficult for Alcaraz to achieve, as he normally struggles on indoor hardcourts. Couple that with Sinner’s dominance indoors and it could prove very difficult.

The Spaniard has only reached the quarter-finals of the tournament on one occasion and he has been knocked out in the second round twice in his five appearances.

Nevertheless, with Wimbledon and Roland Garros already out of the question, Alcaraz could turn his attention towards another record on the ATP Tour.