Carlos Alcaraz suffered a setback at the Shanghai Masters, but he will be looking to return to winning ways at the Vienna Open.

Alcaraz was knocked out of the third round of the Shanghai Masters by Zizou Bergs to continue his difficult relationship with the Chinese Masters tournament.

He was supposed to return to action at the Six Kings Slam, but the Saudi Arabian tournament was delayed, so Alcaraz has accepted a wildcard into the Vienna Open.

The star has not played the tournament since 2021, when he reached the semifinals, and his preparations have already begun for the ATP 500 event.

Alcaraz has reportedly already started training on indoor courts in Murcia and he’s also made another clever decision ahead of his return to tennis.

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The Spaniard has been confirmed to travel to Vienna for the tournament on Saturday, 24th October, way ahead of when he is first set to play his first round match.

That will presumably give the Spaniard a chance to acclimatise to the courts in Vienna as the star has tended to struggle at indoor tournaments in recent years.

Giving himself three days to prepare on the Vienna Open court could be a masterstroke from Alcaraz, which could help him get the jump on his ATP rivals.

The Vienna Open is stacked this year with Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, Flavio Cobolli, and Alex de Minaur also signed up for the final 500 event of the season.

Alcaraz does not have the best record on indoor hardcourts, having yet to win either the ATP Finals or the Paris Masters, both of which are played indoors.

The Spaniard has only claimed one ATP title at an indoor event, which came at the Rotterdam Open in 2025, when he defeated de Minaur in the final.

Carlos Alcaraz’s best performances at the Vienna Open, Paris Masters, and the ATP Finals

• Vienna Open: SF (2021)
• Paris Masters: QF (2022)
• ATP Finals: F (2025)

He also reached the ATP Finals that year, but he lost in the final to Jannik Sinner, who dispatched the Spaniard in a straightforward two sets.

Perhaps Alcaraz’s latest move could help him gain an advantage at the Vienna Open, and it could set him up for a hatrick of firsts before the 2026 season ends.

Alcaraz is looking to win the Vienna Open, the Paris Masters, and the ATP Finals for the first time in his career in the next few months.

Should he manage the feat, his 2026 season could only be considered a success, particularly when you add an Australian Open title and two ATP 500 event wins in Qatar and Tokyo into the mix too.