Carlos Alcaraz US Open Odds: When Does He Play Again?

There’s nothing quite like the drama of the US Open.

This year’s most-discussed storyline on the men’s side is in regard to defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, who is playing competitively for the first time in four months.

Below, we will look at the path ahead for Alcaraz. When is he playing next in Flushing Meadows, and what are his odds to defend his crown?

When does Carlos Alcaraz play again?
Alcaraz is set to next play on Wednesday, September 2 when he will face Jaime Faria. The start time for this match and the court is still TBD.

Faria became something of a heel with the New York crowd in his first-round win over American Jenson Brooksby (6-3, 7-6, 4-6, 1-6, 6-2). The Portuguese star shouted back at his hecklers and was seen blocking his ears with his index fingers.

“I’m enjoying playing against Americans in the USA,” Faria said following the match, according to tennis analyst Jose Morgado.

Faria won’t be facing an American in Round 2, but one can bet that the Flushing Meadows crowd will be firmly behind Alcaraz, the Spanish sensation.

Faria is ranked No. 72 in the world, while Alcaraz is No. 3 in the world, behind only Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev. He is a seven-time major winner and already considered one of the game’s all time greats.

Alcaraz was not perfect against No. 99 Roman Safiullin, but the Spaniard ultimately won 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.

The best news regarding Alcaraz was that he was pain-free after the match.

“I don’t know how it looked from the outside, but from the inside, my feeling was that I was hitting normal,” Alcaraz, who has been nursing an inflamed tendon sheath in his right wrist, said. “I was playing pretty normal, playing my style, and the arm, the wrist, everything felt great.”

If Alcaraz is able to defeat Faria on Wednesday, then the rest of the men’s field might be put on notice.

“If [Alcaraz] starts to play like that and get a couple of matches under his belt, I think that all of a sudden in the locker room, the view might change a little bit. That ‘uh-oh, he’s not here just to compete. He’s here to win it,’” said tennis analyst Brad Gilbert on The Big T Podcast.

Carlos Alcaraz odds
Alcaraz is -1200 at Fanatics Sportsbook to defeat Faria on Wednesday. Faria is +670 to pull off the upset.

Alcaraz was +240 to win the US Open prior to the start of the tournament. He is currently +175 to defend his title.