Carlos Alcaraz out injured for French Open

Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the 2026 French Open on April 24 because of a right wrist injury, according to the official Roland-Garros website and the ATP Tour. The 22-year-old Spaniard had already pulled out of Barcelona and Madrid before saying he also would not play in Rome or at Roland-Garros. The withdrawal removes the two-time defending champion from the men’s field less than a month before main-draw play begins in Paris. It also leaves Jannik Sinner without the player he beat and lost to in the last phase of the clay-court season’s biggest matches. ### When did Alcaraz pull out, and what exactly was the injury? April 24 was the date Alcaraz announced on social media that he would miss both Rome and Roland-Garros after undergoing tests, the ATP Tour said. Roland-Garros said the injury was to his right wrist and described the decision as a precaution after recent physical problems had already forced him out of other events. Alcaraz wrote that “the most prudent thing” was not to play in Rome or Roland Garros while he waited to evaluate his recovery, according to both the ATP Tour and Roland-Garros. The ATP Tour said the decision effectively ended his 2026 clay season. ### Why is this such a big change to the men’s draw? Roland-Garros identified Alcaraz as the two-time defending champion, making his absence the most significant late change to the men’s field. (atptour.com) The official tournament site said he won the 2025 final against Jannik Sinner and would miss the Paris major for the first time since 2021. The ATP Tour said Alcaraz was world No. 2 when he withdrew and was defending 2,000 ranking points at Roland-Garros after also defending 1,000 in Rome. The same report said he trailed Sinner by 390 points in the PIF ATP Rankings at the time of the announcement. ### What does the official field look like without him? The official Roland-Garros entry-list update, published April 14 and updated May 18, said the men’s and women’s singles draws were set for the tournament running from May 18 to June 7. (rolandgarros.com) In the men’s section, the site said Alcaraz had withdrawn because of the wrist injury after also missing Barcelona and Madrid. (atptour.com) On the women’s side, Roland-Garros said Aryna Sabalenka entered as world No. 1 and Coco Gauff arrived as the defending champion. The same entry-list report also named Elena Rybakina and Iga Swiatek among the leading contenders. ### How do withdrawals affect replacements and wild cards? Roland-Garros said on May 13 that Lorenzo Musetti’s withdrawal moved Stan Wawrinka directly into the main draw, with Wawrinka’s wild card then reassigned to French player Clément Tabur. (rolandgarros.com) That update shows how late withdrawals can reshape direct entries and wild-card allocations before the main draw starts. The tournament’s wild-card announcement also set out the men’s and women’s main-draw invitees, including Gaël Monfils, Hugo Gaston and Nishesh Basavareddy on the men’s side, and Clara Burel and Emerson Jones on the women’s side. Roland-Garros said main-draw singles play is scheduled for May 24 to June 7. ### Where did the latest attention on the withdrawal come from? (rolandgarros.com) Outsports referred to Alcaraz’s injury absence in a May 20 French Open preview, describing one of the event’s clearest injury storylines as his being out. The withdrawal itself, however, had already been announced by Alcaraz on April 24 and confirmed by the ATP Tour and Roland-Garros. (rolandgarros.com) May 24 is the scheduled start date for the Roland-Garros main draw, according to the tournament’s wild-card announcement, and the event runs through June 7. The official field includes Sabalenka and Gauff on the women’s side, while the men’s draw proceeds without Alcaraz. (rolandgarros.com 1) (rolandgarros.com 2)