Carlos Alcaraz will miss this year’s French Open due to his wrist injury.
The two-time defending champion won’t return to defend his title in 2026.
How worried are you about Carlos Alcaraz’s injury?
Carlos Alcaraz will miss Rome and Roland Garros…
Former Wimbledon semi-finalist Sam Querrey has now delivered his verdict on Alcaraz’s withdrawal.
Sam Querrey thinks people forget that the ‘big three’ missed Grand Slams due to injury
During the latest episode of ‘Nothing Major‘, Querrey shared his thoughts.
“It sucks,” he said.
“It must be decently bad to know that it is going to be a month before it’s better.
“I think we forget that Rafa [Nadal], [Roger] Federer, Novak [Djokovic]. They would miss a Slam here and there, right?
“We were so spoiled with three of them that if one missed it, you would still have two of them.
“But because it’s [Jannik] Sinner and [Carlos] Alcaraz and there is only two of them, when one of them misses like this, it feels like it’s double the blow as when one of the big three was out.”
Querrey continued, wishing Alcaraz the best in his recovery.
“It’s just a bummer. Alcaraz is everyone’s favourite player basically. To not have him not only in Madrid and Rome, but now Roland Garros is a huge bummer,” he said.
“But he’s 22, let’s hope he is going to be back for Wimbledon, and in the meantime, we have got to find some other players to obsess over!”
Querrey’s co-host, John Isner, was also keen to weigh in.
“The door is ajar in my mind for the rest of the field,” he said.
“Yes, you have got to like Sinner to make the Roland Garros final. He is a huge favourite now to win the event.
Can anyone now stop Jannik Sinner from winning Roland Garros after Carlos Alcaraz’s withdrawal?
If yes, who?
“But anything can happen.
“Sinner could eat a bad pork taco at Roland Garros!
“There are a lot of guys who have a slight bit of hope to make a deep run at Roland Garros.
“That does stink. We just have to hope by the time Roland Garros is going, his wrist starts to feel a bit better, and he can hit a few balls, as we need him at Wimbledon.”
Sinner is now the clear favourite to win the French Open.
He was a point away from winning the title a year ago, and with Alcaraz out of the picture, the Italian should have a clear path to glory in 2026.
But several other big names might have something to say about that…
Who else can challenge for the 2026 French Open title?
Sinner is one of six players in the 2026 field to have appeared in a French Open final.
- Novak Djokovic
- Stan Wawrinka
- Stefanos Tsitsipas
- Casper Ruud
- Alexander Zverev
- Jannik Sinner
Of those six, just two: Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka, have lifted the title.
All six players will be worth keeping an eye on in Paris, as will the clay-court specialists Lorenzo Musetti and Francisco Cerundolo.
And the impressive young trio of Arthur Fils, Joao Fonseca, and Rafael Jodar could also be in with a chance of making a deep run.
Comparing the French Open contenders
| Player | Best French Open performance | French Open record | French Open win % | 2026 Clay record | 2026 Clay win % |
| Novak Djokovic | W – 2016, 2021, 2023 | 101-17 | 86% | – | – |
| Stan Wawrinka | W – 2015 | 46-19 | 71% | 0-2 | 0% |
| Casper Ruud | F – 2022, 2023 | 24-8 | 75% | 4-1 | 80% |
| Jannik Sinner | F – 2025 | 22-6 | 79% | 7-0 | 100% |
| Alexander Zverev | F – 2024 | 38-10 | 79% | 8-2 | 80% |
| Stefanos Tsitsipas | F – 2021 | 27-9 | 75% | 3-2 | 60% |
| Lorenzo Musetti | SF – 2025 | 13-5 | 72% | 4-2 | 67% |
| Francisco Cerundolo | 4R – 2023, 2024 | 6-5 | 55% | 5-2 | 71% |
| Joao Fonseca | 3R – 2025 | 2-1 | 67% | 5-3 | 63% |
| Arthur Fils | 3R – 2025 | 2-2 | 50% | 7-0 | 100% |
| Rafael Jodar | – | – | – | 11-1 | 92% |
Only time will tell who will emerge victorious in the French capital, but you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action.
The 2026 French Open begins on Sunday, May 24.