Team: Alcaraz diagnosed with tendon‑sheath inflammation, begins rehab

Carlos Alcaraz said on April 24 that he will miss Rome and Roland-Garros after fresh tests on his right wrist. (olympics.com) (sports.yahoo.com) Alcaraz wrote that “the most prudent thing” was to stay out while his team monitors how the injury evolves and decides when he can return. He called it “a difficult time” and said he expects to come back stronger. (olympics.com) (sports.yahoo.com) The injury dates to April 14 at the Barcelona Open, when Alcaraz felt his wrist “give way” during a first-round win over Otto Virtanen. He received treatment during the match, won 6-4, 6-2, and withdrew on April 15 after tests on the wrist. (olympics.com) (atptour.com) (nbcsports.com) By April 21, he was already saying he would rather return later “in top condition” than rush back for one tournament. He wore a brace on the wrist at the Laureus World Sports Awards in Madrid, where he was named World Sportsman of the Year. (atptour.com) (olympics.com) The withdrawal takes the two-time defending champion out of the French Open field and ends his chance to chase a third straight title in Paris. It also removes the defending champion from Rome, another major clay stop he won last season. (apnews.com) (indianexpress.com) Alcaraz had already pulled out of Barcelona and Madrid, and ATP Tour reporting said those absences left him further behind Jannik Sinner in the race for No. 1. On April 15, ATP said Alcaraz trailed Sinner by 390 live-ranking points after the Barcelona withdrawal. (atptour.com 1) (atptour.com 2) The medical detail circulating this week has pointed to inflammation around the tendon sheath in the wrist rather than a rupture, though Alcaraz’s public statements have described it more broadly as a right wrist injury. His team’s decision, at least for now, is rest, follow-up testing and rehab instead of a rushed clay return. (firstpost.com) (olympics.com) For now, the last image of Alcaraz’s clay spring is the one from Madrid: a brace on his right wrist, a trophy in hand at Laureus, and no date yet for his next match. (olympics.com) (atptour.com)