What's next for Carlos Alcaraz after historic US Open loss to Ben Shelton

Dubai: Carlos Alcaraz was stunned in the quarterfinals of the 2026 US Open after a 5-set thriller at the Arthur Ashe Stadium. The Spaniard couldn't get past Ben Shelton who won the match 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6 and 7-6 (7).

It was the American's first-ever win against Alcaraz. The two also made history for the latest finish in tournament history. The previous record was set by Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner when their match at ended at 2:50 a.m. local time.

The latest quarterfinal clash ended at over 3:00 a.m. local time. With so drama and top-quality golf ending in the elimination for the 7-time Grand Slam winner, what's next for Alcaraz?

Will Carlos Alcaraz compete again in 2026?

The 23-year-old spent most his season outside the court after winning the Australian Open in January. He continued to withdraw from events, citing tiredness and constant medical checkups during the matches.

Alcaraz withdrew from the Barcelona mid-tournament due to a wrist injury. The list of events continued with Madrid Open and Italian Open, eventually leading to his absence from French Open and Wimbledon.

The US Open was expected to be his big return to the sport after five month absence. Despite his exit, Alcaraz has plenty of tournaments left for the year. His next stop is scheduled to be Laver Cup later this month followed with Japan Open. He will continue his journey across Asian with Shanghai Masters and Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia.

Alcaraz will end his season with Paris Masters and ATP Finals in November. While he missed two Grand Slams and plenty of events earlier this year, he plans to compete in six more events in the coming weeks.