Carlos Alcaraz has been forced to withdraw from the French Open after sustaining a right wrist injury during his first-round match at the Barcelona Open last week. The 22-year-old Spaniard, a two-time champion at Roland Garros, had been favoured to win a third consecutive title in Paris.
Alcaraz announced the decision on social media, stating that medical tests indicated the need for caution. “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,” he wrote. “This is a difficult time for me, but I am sure we will come out of it stronger.”
The injury occurred after Alcaraz lost to Jannik Sinner in the Monte Carlo Masters final, a result that saw Sinner rise to world No 1. Alcaraz then travelled to Barcelona, where he injured his wrist in a straight-sets victory over Otto Virtanen before withdrawing from that tournament. He had already begun the season by winning the Australian Open, becoming the youngest man to complete a career grand slam.
Injuries have been a recurring issue for Alcaraz, who missed much of the 2024 clay-court season with a right forearm problem and withdrew from last year's Madrid Open due to leg injuries. The current setback is one of the most challenging of his career, coming during a busy period when he was playing some of his best tennis.
Jannik Sinner, Alcaraz's great rival, expressed support, saying: “Tennis needs Carlos. Tennis is a much better sport when he’s around.” Sinner also noted the difficulty of wrist injuries, which can be particularly problematic for tennis players. Alcaraz now faces a race to recover for Wimbledon and the grass-court season, which begins shortly after the French Open.
In Madrid, Sinner extended his winning streak to 18 matches by defeating Benjamin Bonzi 6-7 (6), 6-1, 6-4. Cameron Norrie was the only British player to advance in singles, beating Tomas Machac 6-2, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (5), while Katie Boulter lost 6-4, 6-4 to Jessica Pegula.
