Carlos Alcaraz won’t defend his French Open title next month.
While the stars of the WTA and ATP Tours were battling it out in Madrid, Alcaraz announced his withdrawal from the French Open.
How worried are you about Carlos Alcaraz’s injury?
Carlos Alcaraz will miss Rome and Roland Garros…
After Coco Gauff won her second-round match at the Madrid Open, she sent Alcaraz a message of support on social media.
Coco Gauff sends Carlos Alcaraz ‘get well soon’ message after his French Open withdrawal
Gauff was quick to reply to Alcaraz’s Instagram post.
“So sorry to see this,” she said.
“Get well soon.”
The American wasn’t the only tennis star to send their best wishes Alcaraz’s way.
Serena Williams’ former coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, had some kind words to say.
“Extremely sad news, but wise decision,” he said.
“A career is long.”
Other players and pundits were also keen to support the world number two.
- “Fuerza Carlos” – Karen Khachanov
- Speedy recovery, Charly” – Tomas Martin Etcheverry
- “Get health champ” – John Isner
- “Wishing you a speedy recovery” – Chris Eubanks
Everyone knows how talented Alcaraz is, and he will be sorely missed in Paris.
The Spaniard won the 2024 French Open before defending his title in 2025.
With Alcaraz unable to return for a shot at the three-peat, we will see someone else lift the trophy this year.
Stan Wawrinka and Novak Djokovic are the only two former champions in the draw.
- 2015 – Stan Wawrinka
- 2016 – Novak Djokovic
- 2021 – Novak Djokovic
- 2023 – Novak Djokovic
At 41, it’s hard to imagine Wawrinka winning another Grand Slam, but Djokovic is in with a great chance.
The Serb has been waiting for the perfect opportunity to win his 25th major, and that may just have presented itself.
Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, and others will all fancy their chances, too.
The 2026 French Open begins on Sunday, May 24.
What’s next for Carlos Alcaraz after French Open withdrawal?
Alcaraz will miss the remainder of the clay-court season, that’s for certain, but when will he return?
Well, he’ll certainly be hoping to return in time for the grass-court season, where he often excels.
Alcaraz won Wimbledon in 2023 and 2024, before losing in last year’s final.
He also won Queen’s last year, finishing 2025 with a 11-1 record on grass.
However, there isn’t long between the end of the French Open and the beginning of Wimbledon.
If the injury is serious enough to announce his withdrawal from Roland Garros a month before the tournament starts, Wimbledon has got to be a question mark, too.
Wrist injuries have derailed many careers, and Alcaraz should be careful not to rush his return.
Should he and his team decide to sit out the grass-court season, he might choose to make his comeback in the United States.
Alcaraz usually skips the Canadian Open after winning Wimbledon.
But if he does decide against a trip to the All England Club, Alcaraz may instead choose to travel to Toronto for some extra hard-court practice.
Opting for a ‘glass half-full’ approach, that would give the Spaniard a chance to win another ‘big title’.
Alcaraz has won all four Grand Slams and six of the nine Masters 1000 events, but he has yet to lift the Canadian Open trophy.
He came closest to doing so on his last visit to Canada in 2023, when he lost to Tommy Paul in the quarter-finals.
Perhaps winning the Canadian Open in 2026 could act as somewhat of a silver lining for Alcaraz, should he miss both the French Open and Wimbledon this summer.
Only time will tell what the future holds for Alcaraz, but it will certainly be interesting to see when and where he returns to tennis.
