Carlos Alcaraz withdraws from French Open due to wrist injury
Consensus Summary
Carlos Alcaraz, the two-time defending champion at the French Open, has withdrawn from the 2026 Roland Garros and Rome Masters due to a serious wrist injury sustained during the first round of the Barcelona Open on April 17. The injury, initially thought to be minor, required further medical evaluation, leading to his decision to skip the entire clay court season. Alcaraz, who won the Australian Open earlier this year and was aiming for a historic three-peat at Roland Garros, posted a statement expressing caution about his recovery. His absence leaves Jannik Sinner as the primary favorite to win the French Open, though Sinner has emphasized the importance of Alcarazâs health over competitive discussions. The injury is particularly concerning given the career-ending wrist issues faced by past champions like Juan MartĂn del Potro and Dominic Thiem. Both sources agree Alcarazâs withdrawal is a significant blow to the clay court season, with the French Open set to begin on May 24. The absence also highlights scheduling challenges, as Alcaraz has faced recurring injuries during the clay court swing in recent years.
â Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the 2026 French Open (Roland Garros) due to a wrist injury suffered in the first round of the Barcelona Open on April 17, 2026.
- Alcaraz also withdrew from the 2026 Rome Masters after scans revealed the wrist injury was more serious than initially thought.
- Alcaraz posted a statement on social media on April 24, 2026, saying: 'After the results of the tests carried out today, we have decided that the most prudent thing to do is to be cautious and not participate in Rome or Roland Garros as we wait to evaluate the progress so we can decide when to return to the court.'
- Alcaraz is the two-time defending champion at Roland Garros, having won in 2024 and 2025.
- Jannik Sinner urged Alcaraz not to rush back due to the risks of wrist injuries in tennis.
- The French Open main draw starts on May 24, 2026.
- Alcaraz won the 2026 Australian Open earlier in the year.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Alcaraz picked up the wrist injury in the first round of the Barcelona Open earlier this month (April 2026) before withdrawing from the tournament.
- Alcaraz also withdrew from the Madrid Open after the scans showed the injury was more serious.
- Alcaraz beat Jannik Sinner in the 2025 Roland Garros final in a marathon match lasting 5 hours and 29 minutes, saving three championship points and coming back from two sets down.
- The last time Alcaraz missed a major was the 2023 Australian Open due to a leg injury.
- Alcaraz won titles at Monte Carlo, Rome, and Roland Garros in 2025 and finished runner-up in Barcelona.
- Sinner has won the Australian Open twice, Wimbledon in 2025, and the US Open in 2024, leaving him one major short of a career slam.
- The nature of Alcarazâs wrist injury is concerning, with references to careers curtailed by similar issues (e.g., Juan MartĂn del Potro, Dominic Thiem, Nick Kyrgios).
- Alcaraz will skip the entire clay court swing and focus on Wimbledon in June.
- Alcaraz lost in the Monte Carlo Masters final to Jannik Sinner two Sundays before withdrawing from Barcelona.
- Alcaraz competed in promotional duties and played in Barcelonaâs first round just hours after returning home from Monte Carlo.
- This is the third consecutive year Alcaraz has been injured during the clay court season (2024 forearm injury, 2025 leg injuries in Barcelona final).
- Alcaraz wore a bulky immobilization cast on his right wrist while awaiting tests on the injury.
- Alcaraz posted a picture of himself lounging in his living room surrounded by trophies after returning home from Barcelona.
- The absence of Alcaraz leaves a significant hole in the clay court season, with a 7,795-point gap between him (No. 2) and No. 3 Alexander Zverev in the ATP rankings.
- Sinner is the favorite to win his fifth consecutive Madrid Masters 1000 title despite never reaching the semi-finals there before.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The ABC article states Alcaraz withdrew from the Madrid Open after scans, but the Guardian does not mention Madrid withdrawal explicitly, only Barcelona and Rome.
- The ABC article mentions Alcaraz played through pain at the 2024 Madrid Open, while the Guardian states he withdrew from Madrid in 2024 due to a forearm injury, without specifying if he played through pain.
Source Articles
Carlos Alcaraz's French Open three-peat dreams ended by wrist injury
Two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz will not be able to defend his titles at Roland Garros due to a wrist injury that has friend and rival Jannik Sinner concerned.
Alcaraz must heed injury wake-up call as absence leaves hole in clay-court season | Tumaini Carayol
Smart scheduling is key to longevity and avoiding injuries, and the Spaniard has sometimes paid for his imprudence Carlos Alcarazâs title defence at the Monte Carlo Masters ended two Sundays ago in an intense two-set final loss to his arch-rival Jannik Sinner. While some players would have been desperate for a break after a gruelling week, Alcaraz had other plans. Less than 24 hours later, he landed back home in Spain to compete at the Barcelona ATP 500 event, immediately undertaking promotional
Carlos Alcaraz pulls out of French Open title defence due to wrist injury
Alcaraz suffered injury in Barcelona Open first round Spaniard beat Sinner in epic 2025 Roland Garros final Carlos Alcaraz has been forced to withdraw from the French Open due to the wrist injury he suffered last week in his first round match at the Barcelona Open. Alcaraz has won the French Open for the past two years â including a classic final against Jannik Sinner last year â and he began the clay court season favoured to win his third consecutive title in Paris. After losing in the Monte Ca