Carlos Alcaraz withdraws from French Open

Carlos Alcaraz’s withdrawal from the 2026 French Open removed the tournament’s two-time defending men’s champion before the main draw was set. Roland-Garros said Alcaraz was out because of a wrist injury, and the ATP Tour reported that the Spaniard had also pulled out of Rome as he ended his clay season. (rolandgarros.com) The 23-year-old’s absence changes the shape of the men’s field before the draw ceremony on May 21. (atptour.com) Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic and other top contenders remain in the field, while qualifying began in Paris on May 18. (rolandgarros.com) ### When did Alcaraz pull out, and what was the injury? Roland-Garros published Alcaraz’s withdrawal three weeks before the tournament’s main draw, saying the two-time defending champion had been forced out by a wrist injury. The ATP Tour said the injury surfaced earlier in the month and that tests led him to stop his 2026 clay campaign. (rolandgarros.com) ATP Tour coverage identified Alcaraz as world No. 2 at the time of the announcement and said he was also withdrawing from the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome. Sporting News, citing Alcaraz’s announcement, described the problem as a lingering right wrist injury. (rolandgarros.com) ### What does his absence mean for the Roland-Garros field? Roland-Garros had Alcaraz entering 2026 as the defending champion after his title run in Paris the previous year. His exit leaves the men’s draw without one of its biggest names and removes a seeded player before the bracket is finalized. (rolandgarros.com) MSN’s preview of the draw said Jannik Sinner would enter as the favorite after Alcaraz’s withdrawal, with Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev and Arthur Fils among the players in focus. That assessment came from preview coverage, not from tournament organizers. (atptour.com) ### What stage is the tournament at now? Roland-Garros said Opening Week began on May 18, when the men’s and women’s qualifying draws were made and qualifying matches started in Paris. The official site said first-round main-draw action begins on Sunday, May 24. (rolandgarros.com) Tennis Majors also listed the 2026 tournament dates as May 18 to June 7, with qualifying running before the main draw. ATP Tour coverage of the qualifying field said Grigor Dimitrov and David Goffin were among the notable names trying to play their way into the tournament. (msn.com) ### Did weather already affect play in Paris? Yahoo Sports reported that rain interrupted the first day of qualifying on May 18 and delayed several matches. The disruption came on the opening day of on-court competition at Roland-Garros. (rolandgarros.com) The official Roland-Garros site did not frame the weather as a broader tournament issue in the material reviewed, but the rain delay was part of the first day of qualifying coverage from outside outlets. ### What happens next before the main draw begins? The Roland-Garros main draw ceremony is scheduled for May 21, with preview coverage listing a 14:00 CEST start time. (tennismajors.com) The official tournament site says first-round main-draw matches begin on May 24 in Paris. Qualifying continues through Opening Week as players compete for places in the 128-player singles brackets. (sports.yahoo.com) By May 24, the tournament will move from qualifiers and withdrawals to the full main-draw field at Stade Roland-Garros. (rolandgarros.com) (msn.com)