Carlos Alcaraz out of Roland Garros

Carlos Alcaraz will not defend his French Open title after withdrawing from Roland Garros with a right wrist injury, the ATP Tour and tournament organizers said on April 24. The 22-year-old Spaniard also pulled out of the Italian Open in Rome, ending his 2026 clay season before the year’s second Grand Slam. (atptour.com) Alcaraz said the decision followed medical tests and was taken so he could monitor his recovery before setting a return date. Roland Garros organizers said the two-time defending champion will miss the Paris tournament for the first time since 2021. ### When did Alcaraz decide to shut down his clay season? April 24 was the day Alcaraz announced he would skip both Rome and Roland Garros. (rolandgarros.com) In a message cited by the ATP Tour and Roland Garros, he said tests showed the “most prudent thing” was not to play either event while he and his team waited to assess the injury’s progress. The ATP Tour said the withdrawal brought an immediate end to Alcaraz’s 2026 clay campaign. At the time of the announcement, he was the defending champion in both Rome and Paris. ### How did the wrist problem start affecting his schedule? (atptour.com) April 15 was the first formal interruption to Alcaraz’s spring schedule. The ATP Tour and the Barcelona Open said he withdrew from the Barcelona Open after a test on his right wrist, one day after beating qualifier Otto Virtanen 6-4, 6-2. That withdrawal came before a scheduled second-round match against Tomas Machac. (atptour.com) Madrid followed a little more than a week later. The ATP Tour said Alcaraz then withdrew from the Mutua Madrid Open because of the same wrist issue, ruling him out of his home Masters 1000 event for a second straight year. (atptour.com) Rome was the next stop he abandoned. The April 24 announcement confirmed he would not play the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, removing the last major tuneup before Roland Garros. ### What exactly did Alcaraz say about the injury? Alcaraz said the decision was based on tests carried out that day. “This is a difficult time for me,” he said in the statement carried by the ATP Tour and Roland Garros, adding that he believed “we will come out of it stronger.” (atptour.com) Roland Garros described the problem as a right wrist injury. The ATP Tour also referred to it as a wrist injury and said the Spaniard had decided to be cautious rather than risk worsening the condition. (atptour.com) ### What does his absence change in Paris? Roland Garros said Alcaraz was the two-time defending champion in Paris. (atptour.com) The ATP Tour noted he won the 2025 title by saving three championship points against Jannik Sinner in the final, making him one of the central names in the men’s draw before the injury. The ATP Tour also said Alcaraz was defending 1,000 ranking points in Rome and 2,000 at Roland Garros. (atptour.com) At the time of his withdrawal, he trailed Sinner by 390 points in the ATP rankings, according to the ATP Tour. ### What happens next at Roland Garros? (atptour.com) May 18 marked the start of qualifying at Roland Garros, according to the tournament’s official schedule. The main draw ceremony is scheduled for May 21, and main-draw singles play begins on May 24 at Porte d’Auteuil in Paris. (atptour.com) June 7 is the scheduled end date for the 2026 tournament, according to the official Roland Garros calendar. Alcaraz has not announced a firm return date beyond saying he will wait to evaluate the progress of the injury before deciding when to go back on court. (rolandgarros.com) (atptour.com)