Carlos Alcaraz will not defend his Roland Garros title this year after announcing Friday that a wrist injury has forced him out of the clay-court Grand Slam.
The world No. 2 said medical tests showed he needed more time to recover, prompting him to withdraw from both the Rome Masters and Roland Garros. The decision ends his clay-court season and removes one of the tournament’s biggest names from Paris before the main draw begins on May 24.
“After the results of the tests carried out today, we have decided that the most prudent thing is to be cautious and not participate in Rome and Roland Garros,” Alcaraz said in a statement on social media.
The Spaniard had been due to chase a third consecutive Roland Garros crown after winning the title in 2024 and 2025. His absence is a major blow to the tournament and to a clay-court season that had been building toward another potential showdown between Alcaraz and world No. 1 Jannik Sinner.
Alcaraz first experienced problems with his right wrist during his opening match at the Barcelona Open against Finland’s Otto Virtanen. He later withdrew from the Madrid Masters 1000, saying the injury was “a little more serious than we all expected.”
At the Laureus World Sports Awards earlier this week, Alcaraz made clear that he would not risk his long-term health simply to return in time for Paris.
“God willing, we have a very long career ahead of us, many years in front of us, and forcing things at this Roland Garros could really hurt me for future tournaments,” Alcaraz said Monday after receiving the Laureus Sportsman of the Year award.
The 22-year-old said the priority now is making sure the injury heals fully before he returns to competition. “We are clear that this has to recover very well if I don’t want it to affect me later in the future,” Alcaraz said.
His withdrawal reshapes the men’s draw at Roland Garros. Without Alcaraz, Sinner becomes the clear leading favorite to capture his first French Open title. The Italian recently beat Alcaraz in the Monte Carlo final and began his Madrid campaign on Friday with the chance to strengthen his position at the top of the sport.
Alcaraz’s absence also removes one of tennis’ defining rivalries from the Paris stage. Last year’s Roland Garros final between Alcaraz and Sinner was one of the season’s signature matches, with the Spaniard prevailing to continue his rise as one of the dominant figures of the post-Big Three era.
For Alcaraz, the decision is painful but cautious. He did not set a return date and said his comeback will depend on how the wrist responds in the coming weeks. “It is a difficult moment for me, but I am sure we will come out of this stronger,” Alcaraz said.
The next major question is whether he can recover in time for the grass-court season and Wimbledon. For now, the defending champion’s Paris campaign is over before it begins, leaving Roland Garros without one of its biggest attractions and opening the door for Sinner and the rest of the field.
