TENNIS: Alcaraz to miss Wimbledon as he continues to recover from wrist injury

Carlos Alcaraz will miss Wimbledon and the entire grass-court season as he continues recovering from a right wrist injury. The absence of the two-time Wimbledon champion leaves Jannik Sinner as the strong favorite to defend his title.

REUTERS

May 20, 2026

FILE PHOTO: Spain's Carlos Alcaraz poses with the trophy after defeating Serbia's Novak Djokovic in the men's singles final at Wimbledon in London on July 14, 2024.

Hannah Mckay/File Photo/Reuters

LONDON - Carlos Alcaraz will miss Wimbledon as he continues to recover from the right wrist injury that also forced him to withdraw from the French Open, the world number two announced on Tuesday.

The 23-year-old Spaniard, who has won seven Grand Slam titles, has not played since pulling out of the Barcelona Open last month due to the injury. Alcaraz said his recovery has progressed well, but he is still not fit enough to compete during the grass-court season.

“My recovery is going well and I feel much better, but unfortunately I’m still not ready to play, and that’s why I have to withdraw from the grass-court swing at Queen’s and Wimbledon,” Alcaraz wrote on X.

Alcaraz, a two-time Wimbledon champion after winning the title in 2023 and 2024, has developed one of the sport’s most compelling rivalries with Italian world number one Jannik Sinner. Their recent battles have drawn global attention, including last year’s French Open final, where Alcaraz rallied to capture the title before Sinner responded by defeating him at Wimbledon.

Earlier this year, Alcaraz became the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam after winning the Australian Open. However, his extended absence could affect his standing in the ATP rankings.

Despite the possible rankings drop, Alcaraz has emphasized that his priority remains a full recovery to avoid further complications and extend his career. He previously appeared at the Laureus World Sports Awards wearing a cast on his injured wrist.

“I’d rather come back a little later and with a full recovery. I need to take care of myself because I want to have a long career,” he said during the event.

With Alcaraz sidelined, Sinner is now considered the overwhelming favorite to defend the Wimbledon title.

The French Open main draw begins at Roland Garros on Sunday, while Wimbledon is scheduled to start on June 29. -Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru and Martyn Herman in London; Editing by Ken Ferris, Toby Davis and Clare Fallon/Reuters