Carlos Alcaraz: The Secret Visual Training Behind His US Open Return

Recovery Timeline and Return to Competition at Flushing Meadows

Alcaraz missed significant portions of the tennis calendar, including his title defense at Roland Garros and the grass-court major at Wimbledon, while managing the right wrist injury that sidelined him after his appearance in Barcelona. The rehabilitation protocol moved methodically through immobilization, shadow swings with unstrung rackets, and progressive hitting phases before returning to high-intensity training. The defending US Open champion opens his campaign at Flushing Meadows against Russian player Roman Safiullin, stepping back onto the hard courts of New York after months of careful physical management.

Visual Training and Dynamic Vision in Tennis

During his recovery period in August, Alcaraz incorporated specialized visual training into his regimen, drawing attention when footage showed him training with a cone covering his right eye. Paul Dorochenko, a physiotherapist, osteopath, and neuromotor reprogramming specialist based in Valencia, explains that such visual drills have a long precedent in professional tennis. Dorochenko previously implemented visual work with Roger Federer in 1999 during the early stages of the Swiss player’s career, and notes that modern professionals regularly utilize similar protocols.

Dynamic vision—the ability to process clear images while an object, a person, or both are in motion—can be systematically trained, according to Dorochenko. While players possess varying baseline reading speeds, visual exercises utilizing screen-based letter recognition or obstructed-eye drills allow athletes to enhance peripheral awareness. “If the eye reads better, the brain decodes better,” Dorochenko states, noting that professional tennis players typically process between nine and ten letters flashed on a screen in fractions of a second, compared to four for an untrained individual and up to seven for a professional line judge.

Dominant Eye Mechanics and Tactical Reading

Visual training protocols often involve covering the dominant or non-dominant eye to restructure how information reaches the brain. Every individual possesses a director or dominant eye responsible for central vision and focus, alongside a motor eye that governs peripheral awareness. In tennis, eye dominance influences spatial awareness on different sides of the court. When a player’s dominant eye is on the same side as their hitting hand—known as a homogeneous setup—striking the ball on the opposite wing can alter how depth and contact points are perceived.

By temporarily covering the dominant eye during training drills, athletes are forced to rely on peripheral data from the secondary eye. Dorochenko explains that this methodology expands global awareness of moving elements on the court, encompassing both the incoming ball and the opposing player’s movement patterns. “If you improve peripheral vision, you have better global information of everything that moves,” Dorochenko notes, emphasizing that enhanced visual processing directly benefits a player’s tactical reading and anticipation during rallies.

Next Steps at the US Open

With his physical conditioning, wrist health, and visual training aligned, Alcaraz faces his opening-round test against Roman Safiullin at the US Open.