Carlos Alcaraz will play the Vienna Open in 2026 after accepting a late wild card.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion wasn’t expected to play again until the Paris Masters, but after losing early in Shanghai, Alcaraz clearly wanted to test himself again before travelling to France.
23-year-old Alcaraz has played the Vienna Open once before, in 2021. But how did he perform on his previous visit to Austria, and did he win the title?
Carlos Alcaraz reached the Vienna Open semi-finals in 2021
Making his Vienna Open debut in 2021, Alcaraz met Great Britain’s Dan Evans in the first round. Alcaraz was ranked 18 places below Evans, but had already established himself as one of the brightest talents in men’s tennis.
Alcaraz made relatively light work of Evans, winning 6-4, 6-3, to set up a second-round clash against arguably the best British tennis player of all time, Andy Murray.
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After receiving a wild card into the event, Murray defeated the fifth seed Hubert Hurkacz, 6-4, 6-7, 6-3, to book his place in the second round. He couldn’t repeat his first-round heroics in round two, though, and lost to Alcaraz in straight sets, 3-6, 4-6.
Alcaraz then played Italy’s Matteo Berrettini in the quarter-finals. Seeded third, Berrettini was one of the favourites for the title, but like Evans and Murray before him, he was no match for Alcaraz. The Spaniard won in three sets, 6-1, 6-7, 7-6, continuing his charge towards the title.
Unfortunately for Alcaraz, his run ended in the semi-finals. Second seed Alexander Zverev was clinical, winning 6-3, 6-3 in their second career meeting. The German then defeated Frances Tiafoe in the final to win his fifth title of the year.
Carlos Alcaraz at the 2021 Vienna Open (3-1)
- 1R [WIN] vs Dan Evans, 6-4, 6-3
- 2R [WIN] vs Andy Murray, 6-3, 6-4
- QF [WIN] vs Matteo Berrettini, 6-1, 6-7, 7-6
- SF [LOSS] vs Alexander Zverev, 3-6, 3-6
The world number three missed out on the title five years ago and will return with a point to prove in 2026, but who will join him in the Austrian capital? Here are the top eight seeds for the 2026 Vienna Open, which begins on October 26.
Top eight seeds at the 2026 Vienna Open
1. Alexander Zverev
- Vienna Open record (16-5)
- Best Vienna Open performance – Champion (2021)
2. Carlos Alcaraz
- Vienna Open record (3-1)
- Best Vienna Open performance – Semi-final (2021)
3. Daniil Medvedev
- Vienna Open record (12-3)
- Best Vienna Open performance – Champion (2022)
4. Flavio Cobolli
- Vienna Open record (2-2)
- Best Vienna Open performance – Second round (2024, 2025)
5. Alex de Minaur
- Vienna Open record (7-3)
- Best Vienna Open performance – Semi-final (2024, 2025)
6. Frances Tiafoe
- Vienna Open record (9-5)
- Best Vienna Open performance – Final (2021)
7. Jakub Mensik
- Vienna Open record (4-1)
- Best Vienna Open performance – Quarter-final (2024)
8. Learner Tien
- Vienna Open record (0-0)
- Best Vienna Open performance – N/A
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