Alcaraz withdraws from French Open with wrist injury

Carlos Alcaraz Withdraws From French Open, Leaving Clay Season in Turmoil

Carlos Alcaraz will not defend his French Open title this year. The two-time reigning Roland Garros champion announced Friday that a right wrist injury will keep him out of both the Italian Open and the French Open, casting a shadow over what was supposed to be his crowning clay-court campaign.

A Difficult Decision

“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 wrote on Instagram. “This is a difficult time for me, but I am sure we will come out of it stronger.”bleacherreport

The injury first surfaced during the Barcelona Open earlier this month, where Alcaraz was forced to withdraw after his quarterfinal match against Finland’s Otto Virtanen on April 14. He subsequently pulled out of the Madrid Open before the tournament began, marking the second consecutive year he has missed the event in his home country.yahoo

At the Laureus Awards ceremony in Madrid on Monday, where Alcaraz was honored as Sportsman of the Year, the world No. 2 had offered a cautious update, saying he was awaiting further assessments on his wrist. Former British No. 1 Greg Rusedski urged patience, drawing a pointed comparison: “Look at Juan Martín del Potro, one of the greats of our sport. He can’t afford a serious wrist injury. Take your time, make sure you are 100% ready”.puntodebreak

Sinner Stands to Gain

With Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic — who is nursing a shoulder injury — both absent from Madrid, top-ranked Jannik Sinner is the clear favorite to extend a remarkable run. Sinner arrived in the Spanish capital chasing a record fifth consecutive ATP Masters 1000 title after winning Monte Carlo, Indian Wells, and Miami earlier this season.wikipedia

On Friday, Sinner survived a scare in his Madrid debut, dropping the first set to qualifier Benjamin Bonzi before rallying for a 6-7(6), 6-1, 6-4 victory in the second round. “I struggled quite a lot,” Sinner acknowledged.nampa

The Italian now has a clear path to a first Roland Garros title as well. “It’s quite complicated for the tournament,” Sinner said of Alcaraz’s absence. Alcaraz himself has conceded the likelihood of losing his No. 1 ranking during the clay season, telling reporters: “To be honest, I’m going to lose World No. 1”.facebook

What Comes Next

Madrid Open director Feliciano Lopez expressed concern that the wrist injury could sideline Alcaraz for the remainder of the European clay swing. Alcaraz had won the last two French Open titles, including a five-hour comeback victory over Sinner in last year’s final. His timeline for return remains uncertain.tntsports