Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from the French Open and there are concerns about his involvement at Wimbledon later this year. The world number two pulled out of the competition with a wrist problem, meaning he won't be able to defend his title.
Former British number one Greg Rusedski has called on Alcaraz to prioritise his recovery from injury following the Spanish sensation's withdrawal. Alcaraz claimed the trophy in 2025, mounting a comeback to defeat Jannik Sinner in an enthralling final, but he won't feature in this year's event. The fitness blow also casts doubt over his availability for Wimbledon later this year, with the severity of the injury remaining unclear.
On social media, Alcaraz confirmed his withdrawal and said: "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 or Roland Garros, while we wait to assess the progress in order to decide when we will return to the court. It's a complicated moment for me, but I'm sure we will come out of this stronger."
Rusedski acknowledged it is a concerning development for Alcaraz, particularly given the limited gap between the French Open and Wimbledon. "I think it's the right play. Health is your wealth," said Rusedski on his podcast. "He's already won seven majors at such a young age. He has all four slams already. It's just incredible what he's done. This is where the team has managed him correctly, you know, just not putting an expectation, any pressure. He wants to try to be ready for Wimbledon. You know, he lost that tough final last year to Sinner. It is a little bit disconcerting because he's gonna miss Paris, that's an extra two weeks away, which is a total of four and a half weeks off right now with the injury. He will truly be missed in Paris, but what an opportunity for Jannik Sinner."
Rusedski added: "Is he gonna have enough time three weeks afterwards to get ready for the Wimbledon Championship? Hopefully he will be back for the grass court season, but this puts a lot of things in doubt. Fingers crossed by about the second week of Paris, he's already into his stride. Also when you're playing on clay, there are long, drawn out rallies on the grass court. It's a little bit shorter. It's a little bit sharper as well. It just depends on what the conditions are going to be like in summer. If it's hot, the ball goes through the air quickly. If it's going to be a little cooler, it goes a little slower. So Carlos will only come back when he's 100% fit and ready to go. And let's hope."
