Alcaraz withdraws from French Open

Carlos Alcaraz will not defend his French Open title after withdrawing from Roland Garros with a right wrist injury, tournament organizers and multiple tennis outlets said. Roland Garros said the Spaniard, the two-time defending champion, had been forced out before the 2026 draw. Alcaraz’s absence removes the reigning men’s champion from the field days before play begins in Paris. The ATP Tour’s tournament preview now lists Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev among the leading men in the draw. ### When did Alcaraz pull out, and what injury was cited? Roland Garros said Alcaraz withdrew because of a wrist problem, describing the issue as an injury to his wrist in its notice on the official tournament site. Olympics.com, citing the player’s situation, reported that tests showed he would not recover in time from a lingering right wrist injury. UPI reported on May 19 that Alcaraz had already withdrawn from the French Open and would also miss Wimbledon because of the same injury. (rolandgarros.com) The injury ends Alcaraz’s attempt to defend the title he won in 2025. Olympics.com said Alcaraz beat Jannik Sinner in last year’s final in a match that lasted five hours and 29 minutes. ### How much does this change the men’s field in Paris? The ATP Tour said the second Grand Slam tournament of the year will be played from May 24 to June 7 at Stade Roland Garros in Paris, with Sinner, Djokovic and Zverev headlining the men’s field. (rolandgarros.com) Flashscore, in an AFP report, said Sinner now enters the French Open as the firm favorite with Alcaraz absent. (olympics.com) MSN’s pickup of a tournament preview said the draw reveal on Thursday comes with Alcaraz absent, Sinner in strong form and Djokovic chasing a 25th major title. That framing matches the ATP Tour’s field list, which places Sinner at the front of the pre-tournament conversation. (atptour.com) ### What does Roland Garros say about the schedule from here? The ATP Tour said the Roland Garros main draw runs from May 24 through June 7. Tennis365 also said the main draw begins on Sunday, May 24, with the men’s final scheduled for June 7 in Paris. MSN’s preview of the draw said the men’s bracket will be revealed on Thursday, May 21. (msn.com) The official Roland Garros site is carrying tournament coverage, schedules and draws for the 2026 edition. ### Does this affect only Paris, or more of Alcaraz’s season? UPI reported on May 19 that Alcaraz said he would also miss Wimbledon because of the wrist injury. (atptour.com) Yahoo Sports similarly reported that the injury would keep him out of both the French Open and Wimbledon, as well as the Queen’s Club Championships. (msn.com) That means Alcaraz’s withdrawal is not limited to one event. The immediate next benchmark for the men’s tour is the May 21 Roland Garros draw, followed by the start of main-draw matches on May 24 at Stade Roland Garros, where Sinner, Djokovic and the rest of the field will learn their paths without the defending champion. (atptour.com) (upi.com)