Carlos Alcaraz, 22, withdrew from Roland Garros 2026 on April 24 due to a wrist injury, ending his bid to defend the French Open titles he won in 2024 and 2025. The tournament’s official account announced the decision as organisers prepared for qualifying in Paris, posting, "Some heartbreaking news as Carlos Alcaraz, our 2024 and 2025 champion, won't be able to defend his title at Roland-Garros 2026 due to a wrist injury. Wishing you all the best in your recovery Carlos, we’ll miss you!" Alcaraz injured the wrist during a first-round match at the Barcelona Open in early April, stopped that tournament, skipped the Madrid Open, and chose recovery after scans showed abnormal findings. Tournament organisers and Alcaraz’s team say the wrist needs more time to heal, and further tests will determine his return timetable.

The read here is simple. With Alcaraz sidelined, Roland-Garros loses its defending champion and a player who has dominated this clay-court major. That changes the men’s draw more than a single withdrawal usually does. Alcaraz was not only the titleholder from the last two years, he was the top threat who shaped seeding and matchups across the bracket.

How the injury unfolded

Alcaraz’s wrist problem began in a first-round match at the Barcelona Open earlier in April. What started as soreness produced abnormal findings on medical scans, according to the timeline released around the announcement. He stopped his Barcelona campaign, opted out of the Madrid Open, and underwent additional testing. Those results led him and his team to prioritise recovery rather than travel to Paris to defend a title he won in back-to-back finals.

The Roland-Garros account made the withdrawal public on April 24 as organisers were preparing for the qualifying rounds. The statement ran as qualifiers were about to begin at the Roland-Garros site in Paris on May 18. This main draw is set to start on May 24, and the withdrawal will be reflected in the final entry list and seedings once the draw is finalised.

What this means for the draw

Alcaraz’s absence reshapes the tournament immediately. He beat Alexander Zverev to win Roland-Garros in 2024 and retained the crown in 2025 after a memorable final against Jannik Sinner. Those results cemented his standing at the top of men’s tennis. With him out, Jannik Sinner emerges as the pre-tournament favourite, while established top players such as Alexander Zverev and a group of rising contenders face a clearer path through the draw.

Mastheads

The change removes a player who demanded different game plans from virtually every opponent on clay. Sinner’s elevation to favourite status follows directly from Alcaraz’s withdrawal.

Zverev and others will still have to deal with a deep field, but the matchup probabilities shift when the two-time reigning champion is suddenly absent.

Tournament organisers and Alcaraz’s team framed the decision as medical and precautionary. The player, who turned 22 during the current season, and his staff opted for further tests and time to heal rather than risk aggravating the wrist in a Grand Slam setting. That sequence explains the stop at Barcelona, the skip of Madrid, and the decision to forgo Paris.

Practically, the withdrawal will be processed through the tournament’s entry list and seeding adjustments. Qualifying began on May 18 at Roland-Garros in Paris, and the event moves into its main draw phase on May 24. The late change gives alternates and lower-ranked players a concrete opportunity to move into the field or improve their seeding position.

For Alcaraz, the medical tests and recovery timetable now determine his season more than any calendar. The statement from Roland-Garros, which named him explicitly as the 2024 and 2025 champion, closed the chapter on his title defence while those tests set the timeline for his return.

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The Roland-Garros main draw is scheduled to begin on May 24, 2026.

This article was created with AI assistance.