The wrist injury that has sidelined Alcaraz since April will keep him out through the entire grass season, opening the door for Sinner to complete the Career Grand Slam and potentially dominate both Roland-Garros and Wimbledon.
Carlos Alcaraz confirmed Tuesday that he will miss Wimbledon and the entire grass court season as he continues recovering from the wrist injury sustained at the Barcelona Open in April.
“My recovery is going well and I’m feeling much better, but unfortunately I’m still not ready to compete, which is why I have to withdraw from the grass-court swing at Queen’s and Wimbledon,” Alcaraz wrote on Instagram. “They are two truly special tournaments for me and I will miss them a lot. We’ll keep working to come back as soon as possible!”
The announcement means the 23-year-old Spaniard will miss consecutive Grand Slams for the first time since the COVID-19-disrupted 2020 season. After already withdrawing from the French Open, where he was the two-time defending champion, Alcaraz will now miss Wimbledon, where he won back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024 before losing to Jannik Sinner in last year’s final.
Mi recuperación va por buen camino y me siento mucho mejor, pero desgraciadamente aún no estoy listo para poder jugar y por eso tengo que renunciar a la gira de hierba en Queen’s y Wimbledon. Son dos torneos realmente especiales para mí y los echaré mucho de menos. Seguimos… pic.twitter.com/6IL0APkv5G
— Carlos Alcaraz (@carlosalcaraz) May 19, 2026
Alcaraz suffered a wrist injury during his first-round match against Otto Virtanen at the Barcelona Open on April 14. Despite winning that match, he felt his wrist “give out” during a return and withdrew before the second round.
Medical tests revealed tenosynovitis – inflammation of the tendon sheath in his right wrist – more serious than initially expected. The injury has now kept him out for over five weeks and will extend his absence to at least three months total.
The Spaniard has already missed Madrid (his home Masters 1000), Rome and Roland-Garros. Missing Queen’s Club, where he’s a two-time champion, and Wimbledon means his return likely won’t come until the North American hard court swing in July or August.
Rankings Implications
Alcaraz will drop 3,300 ranking points from the two Grand Slams alone. Currently world No. 2, he trails Sinner by nearly 3,000 points – a gap that will widen as Sinner defends far fewer points.
With Alexander Zverev in third place sitting 6,255 points behind Alcaraz before the French Open, the German could potentially climb to No. 2 depending on results over the next month.
Sinner’s Golden Opportunity
Jannik Sinner enters both Roland-Garros and Wimbledon as the overwhelming favorite in Alcaraz’s absence.
The Italian has been unstoppable in 2026, winning six consecutive Masters 1000 titles to complete the Career Golden Masters. His 30-2 season record includes only losses to Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open semifinals and an early upset to Jakub Mensik in Doha.
The French Open represents the only Grand Slam missing from Sinner’s collection after winning the Australian Open (2024, 2025), US Open (2024), and Wimbledon (2025). With Alcaraz out, Sinner can:
- Complete the Career Grand Slam at Roland-Garros (May 24 – June 7)
- Defend his Wimbledon title (June 29 – July 12)
- Win both majors to close the gap on Alcaraz’s seven Grand Slam titles
If Sinner wins the French Open and Wimbledon, he’ll have six career Grand Slams, just one behind Alcaraz.
Who Can Challenge Sinner?
With Alcaraz sidelined, the question becomes: can anyone stop Sinner’s dominance? Let’s look at some options.
On Clay (French Open)
Alexander Zverev – Defeated Rublev in the Rome final and has been Sinner’s most consistent opponent, though he’s lost nine consecutive matches to the Italian.
Novak Djokovic – The 24-time Grand Slam champion is the last player to beat Sinner, doing so in the Australian Open semifinals. At 39, Djokovic skipped most of the clay season to prepare specifically for Roland-Garros. His experience and tactical brilliance can never be discounted.
Arthur Fils – A possible future challenger to the Big Two. Not there yet fully but it will be interesting to see what he can do in Paris if he can find momentum.
Casper Ruud – Two-time Roland-Garros finalist (2022, 2023) who thrives on slow clay. His grinding baseline style can frustrate opponents, though he hasn’t beaten a top-5 player this season. Played a decent final against Sinner in Rome.
On Grass (Wimbledon)
Alexander Zverev – His big serve and improved net game make him dangerous on grass, though he’s never won Wimbledon. Reached the semifinals in 2024.
Daniil Medvedev – The 2021 US Open champion has the flat, penetrating groundstrokes that work on grass. Tends to struggle with movement on the surface but can serve his way through draws. Gave Sinner a tough battle in the Rome semifinal.
Novak Djokovic – Seven-time Wimbledon champion with unmatched grass court skills. If his body holds up through the French Open, he might be a threat at the All England Club.
Ben Shelton – The American’s massive serve and athletic movement could be perfectly suited for grass. Still developing consistency but possesses match-up advantages against anyone on fast surfaces.
What’s Next for Alcaraz?
The Spaniard is targeting a return for the North American hard court swing, which culminates with his US Open title defense in late August. That gives him roughly three months to heal completely.
Alcaraz has been smart about the injury, prioritising long-term health over short-term competition. “I have a long career ahead of me,” he said earlier in May, “so I’m not afraid to miss what I have to miss in order to recover as well as possible.”
The tennis world loses one of its most compelling rivalries for at least two Grand Slams. The past nine major titles have been split between Sinner and Alcaraz, with their matches producing some of the greatest tennis of the modern era.
Can anyone step up and take the opportunity to challenge Sinner’s reign?
Alcaraz’s next scheduled tournament is expected to be the Canadian Open (August 4-10) or Cincinnati Masters (August 11-17), building toward his US Open title defense beginning August 25.