Alcaraz withdraws from Rome and Roland-Garros after his latest wrist exams
The reigning Roland Garros champion will forfeit 3,000 ranking points as rival Jannik Sinner stands to benefit most from his absence.
Carlos Alcaraz, 2026 | © Zuma / PsNewz
Carlos Alcaraz will not compete at the Italian Open in Rome or the French Open at Roland-Garros, the seven-time Grand Slam champion announced Thursday, citing medical tests that led his team to opt for caution over a wrist injury, a decision that will cost him 3,000 ranking points and all but hand the world No. 1 ranking to Jannik Sinner.
“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, while we wait to assess the evolution to decide when we will return to the court,” Alcaraz said in a statement. “It’s a complicated moment for me, but I’m sure we’ll come out stronger from here.”
The blow to his ranking prospects is significant. By missing Rome and Roland Garros, where he triumphed in 2024 and 2025 respectively, Alcaraz will fail to defend a combined 3,000 points. Sinner, who has won the first three Masters 1000 events of the season – Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo – is poised to benefit enormously from his rival’s prolonged absence.
“More serious than expected”
The injury that has now sidelined Alcaraz struck at the Barcelona Open, when the Spaniard hurt his right wrist during his first-round match against Finland’s Otto Virtanen. Despite winning that match, Alcaraz skipped practice the following day and withdrew from the tournament. He then ruled out competing at the Madrid Masters.
“It’s a more serious injury than we all expected,” Alcaraz said earlier this week. “I have to listen to my body so it doesn’t affect me in the future.”
The setback arrives just four days after a triumphant night at the 2026 Laureus World Sports Awards in Madrid, where Alcaraz was named World Sportsman of the Year for the first time – the fourth tennis player to claim the honour after Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. He received the award from Spanish football legends Luis Figo and Iker Casillas, with his wrist visibly immobilized in a splint on the red carpet.
World sportsman of the year
The ceremony marked Alcaraz’s second Laureus recognition; in 2023, he collected the Breakthrough of the Year Award in Paris, where he met his idol Lionel Messi.
In his acceptance speech Monday, Alcaraz reflected on that earlier night. “Three years ago, I received the Laureus Breakthrough Award in Paris and met one of my heroes, Leo Messi,” he said. “At the time, I dreamt that maybe one day I would join the great Leo Messi on the Sportsman list, and today, I have.”
It is the second successive year Alcaraz has been forced off the clay circuit by injury. In 2025, he suffered a thigh problem in the Barcelona final before recovering in time to win Rome and defend his Roland Garros crown in a historic five-set final against Sinner, in which he saved three match points. That resilience offers some reason for optimism, though the timeline for his return remains unclear.
The Italian Open begins May 5 in Rome; Roland Garros gets underway May 25 in Paris.
