The decision removes the 22-year-old Spaniard from Rome and Paris during the most important stretch of the clay-court season. It also reshapes the French Open field just weeks before the main draw begins, turning what had been expected to be another Alcaraz-led title chase into a more open race.
Carlos Alcaraz injury puts Roland Garros defense on hold
Alcaraz had already withdrawn from Barcelona before a scheduled second-round match against Tomas Machac and later skipped Madrid before Roland-Garros confirmed his withdrawal from the Paris major. The tournament said he is expected to remain sidelined at least until June.
The injury occurred during his first-round win at the Barcelona Open, and scans later showed the problem was more serious than first believed, Reuters reported. Alcaraz also ruled himself out of the Italian Open, where he was the defending champion.
“This is a difficult time for me,” Alcaraz said in a statement, adding that he believed he would “come out of it stronger.” The ATP Tour said the withdrawal effectively ends his 2026 clay season after a 22-3 start to the year.
Why Carlos Alcaraz’s absence changes the French Open picture
Alcaraz entered the spring as one of the strongest title favorites after winning the Australian Open and completing the career Grand Slam. His absence opens a path for Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev and other contenders in Paris.
Sinner, now one of Alcaraz’s defining rivals, offered support after learning of the withdrawal. “Tennis needs Carlos,” Sinner said, according to ESPN’s Associated Press report. Sinner also said Alcaraz and his team were right to avoid rushing back too soon.
The timing is especially difficult because wrist injuries can be complicated for tennis players, whose forehands, serves and defensive stretches all put stress on the joint. The Guardian reported that Alcaraz appeared in Madrid earlier in the week with his wrist immobilized while awaiting further medical tests.
Carlos Alcaraz has faced this kind of disruption before
This is not the first time an injury has interrupted Alcaraz’s clay-court plans. In 2024, he missed Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Rome because of a right forearm injury, a setback the ATP Tour detailed at the time. He still recovered quickly enough to make a deep run in Paris.
That recovery became part of his rise. Alcaraz won his first French Open title in 2024 by defeating Alexander Zverev in five sets, a comeback AP described as his third Grand Slam championship and another sign of his ability to win on every surface.
He then strengthened his Roland Garros legacy in 2025, saving three championship points against Sinner in one of the tournament’s most dramatic finals. ATP’s account of that final noted that Alcaraz became the third man in the Open Era to save at least one championship point on the way to winning a major.
What comes next for Carlos Alcaraz
The immediate priority is recovery rather than rankings, titles or a return date. Alcaraz has not announced when he expects to compete again, though the grass-court season and Wimbledon now loom as the next possible targets.
For Roland Garros, the loss is significant. The tournament will move forward without its two-time defending champion and one of the sport’s biggest draws. For Alcaraz, the setback pauses a title defense but does not erase the broader story of a player who has repeatedly turned injuries into comebacks.
