In short:

Carlos Alcaraz is set to end a four-month absence when he returns to the upcoming US Open.

Since beginning 2026 with the Australian Open title, Alcaraz's year has been cruelled by a wrist injury.

He will be in line to win the record winner's prize of $US5.5 million ($7.7 million).

Carlos Alcaraz is set to return to action at the US Open, ending four months of injury torment, and will be back competing for a record grand slam winner's prize of $US5.5 million ($7.7 million) in New York.

The news of the seven-time grand slam winner's comeback at Flushing Meadows will be music to the ears of former Australian Open boss Craig Tiley, who has been able to begin his reign in charge of the US Open by announcing unprecedented riches to the players.

Seven-time grand slam champion Alcaraz has not played since April due to a concerning wrist injury.

He announced his return on Thursday in unusual fashion, with the help of football journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Romano, who is usually breaking news of big football transfers, used his catchphrase, "Here we go," to announce Alcaraz's return on Instagram, while the reigning champ repeated the message on X.

Alcaraz, who started the year by winning the Australian Open, has not played since withdrawing from the Barcelona Open in April. He has missed both the French Open and Wimbledon while his great rival, Jannik Sinner, has largely dominated.

Now he is fit to return to the scene of his first grand slam triumph in 2022, when he became the youngest man to reach world number one in the rankings.

Alcaraz's return is fantastic news for Tiley, the former Tennis Australia CEO who has taken up the equivalent job at the US Tennis Association (USTA) and has been able to announce an overall prize fund of $US108 million — the first time the $US100m barrier has been broken at a slam.

It is the biggest prize pot in the sport's history and represents a 20 per cent rise for the second consecutive year.

"This is a significant first step in a multi-year investment in athletes as the US Open continues to be the best economic opportunity for players and the most valuable platform in tennis for players, fans and partners," Tiley said.

"We are proud to deliver record-setting prize money and expanded player benefits as well as providing a new platform to work together with players."

That platform is the formation of a Grand Slam Player Council, which is intended to give players a voice on a range of issues such as prize money.

Organisers hope all this will ward off the kind of player protests that occurred at the French Open and Wimbledon.

The champions' winning cheque will be $US5.5 million, up from the $5 million that Sabalenka and Alcaraz won last year.

Players will earn $US140,000 just for making it into the main draw, while a quarterfinalist earns $US780,000, a semifinalist $US1.45 million and runners-up $US2.8 million.

Meanwhile, there was good news for the Australian challenge following the withdrawal of Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina from the main draw through injury.

It meant Alexei Popyrin was able to be advanced to the main draw and the reciprocal wildcard he had been given by the USTA could instead go to his Australian teammate Dane Sweeny, who will make his Flushing Meadows debut at 25.

That takes the current Australian contingent set to start the action on August 30 to a total of 14 — eight men and six women — with more attempting to make it through next week's qualifying.

AAP