Carlos Alcaraz is at risk of missing the 2026 French Open after sustaining a wrist injury in Barcelona.
After winning his first-round match, Alcaraz pulled out of the Barcelona Open.
He has since withdrawn from the Madrid Open and is expected to miss the Italian Open, as well.
Will you still be watching the Madrid Open?
Two BIG withdrawals…
Rafael Nadal’s uncle and former coach, Toni Nadal, has now said whether he believes Alcaraz will play Roland Garros this year.
Toni Nadal thinks Carlos Alcaraz will skip the French Open
As reported by Marca, Nadal said the following on ‘Radioestadio Noche’.
“Listening to him, it seems complicated. It seems he’s fairly certain he might miss Roland Garros,” said Nadal.
“I think everything he’s said is spot on; we shouldn’t take any risk.
“Nowadays, at these speeds, the ball is moving so fast that it’s easy to make a sudden movement, and that’s when tendons and joints suffer.
“At his age, he shouldn’t take risks; he has many years left, and it’s much better to be cautious.
“Normally they don’t advise you to return to competition if the injury isn’t fully healed, and I think that’s what he’s going to do.”
Nadal doesn’t think Alcaraz should rush his comeback.
“It’s tough for Carlos [Alcaraz], but I think he’s wisely putting his career ahead of his desire to play immediately,” said Nadal.
“Carlos Alcaraz doesn’t need to push himself.
“Even though things haven’t gone perfectly in the last three tournaments, it’s already been a very good year for him.
“He’s already won a Grand Slam.
Carlos Alcaraz in 2026
| Tournament | Performance | Match wins | Defeat (if applicable) |
| Australian Open | Winner | 7 (Adam Walton, Yannick Hanfmann, Corentin Moutet, Tommy Paul, Alex de Minaur, Alexander Zverev, Novak Djokovic) | – |
| Qatar Open | Winner | 5 (Arthur Rinderknech, Valentin Royer, Karen Khachanov, Andrey Rublev, Arthur Fils) | – |
| Indian Wells | Semi-finalist | 4 (Grigor Dimitrov, Arthur Rinderknech, Casper Ruud, Cameron Norrie) | Daniil Medvedev |
| Miami Open | Third round | 1 (Joao Fonseca) | Sebastian Korda |
| Monte Carlo Masters | Runner-up | 4 (Sebastian Baez, Tomas Martin Etcheverry, Alexander Bublik, Valentin Vacherot) | Jannik Sinner |
| Barcelona Open | Second round | 1 (Otto Virtanen) | – |
“If they tell him his participation isn’t certain, he wouldn’t participate because, at this level, you have to be in top form to perform at your best.
“It’s much better not to force anything.”
As Nadal rightly explained, Alcaraz has enjoyed a fantastic start to his 2026 campaign.
At the Australian Open, Alcaraz completed the Career Grand Slam and won another ATP title in Qatar shortly after.
Yes, his form has dipped since, but he still sits second in the ‘Live ATP Race to Turin’, having accumulated more points than anyone bar Jannik Sinner in 2026.
Live ATP Race to Turin
| Rank | Name | Country | 2026 Points | 2026 Titles |
| 1 | Jannik Sinner | Italy | 3,910 | 3 (Indian Wells, Miami Open, Monte Carlo Masters) |
| 2 | Carlos Alcaraz | Spain | 3,650 | 2 (Australian Open, Qatar Open) |
| 3 | Alexander Zverev | Germany | 2,300 | – |
| 4 | Daniil Medvedev | Russia | 1,720 | 2 (Brisbane International, Dubai Tennis Championships) |
| 5 | Ben Shelton | USA | 1,570 | 2 (Dallas Open, Munich Open) |
Even if Alcaraz were to skip the remainder of the clay-court season, the chances are he would still be well on course to qualify for the ATP Finals as a top seed.
Can Carlos Alcaraz afford to miss the French Open?
To put it simply, yes he can.
It would be far from ideal, of course, but if Alcaraz were to withdraw from the French Open, it wouldn’t be the end of the world.
He would miss out on a chance to win a Grand Slam and lose ground to Jannik Sinner in the race for world number one, although that would surely be a worthy sacrifice if he were to return to full fitness.
Then, he could attack the grass-court season, where he intends to reclaim the Wimbledon title he lost a year ago.
Last three Wimbledon champions
- 2025 – Jannik Sinner
- 2024 – Carlos Alcaraz
- 2023 – Carlos Alcaraz
What Alcaraz cannot afford to do is rush back from injury and make the problem worse.
The Spaniard should try his best to compete in Paris, but if the timeline doesn’t work, it’s worth pulling the plug on his French Open attendance sooner rather than later.
Only time will tell if Alcaraz will play the French Open in 2026…
This year’s French Open begins on Sunday, May 24.
