The information was announced by the Spanish tennis player on the evening of April 24, after completing medical checks. Alcaraz said that he and his team have chosen a safe option of temporarily stopping the competition to monitor the progress of the injury, instead of risking returning too early. "This is a difficult period, but I believe I will return stronger," the 22-year-old tennis player shared.
Alcaraz's injury appeared from the Barcelona tournament in mid-April and showed signs of being more serious than expected. This forced him to successively withdraw from the Barcelona Open, Madrid Open, Rome Masters and Roland Garros - where he is the defending champion for two consecutive years.
The inability to participate in Roland Garros caused Alcaraz to lose the opportunity to defend 2,000 Grand Slam points, and 1,000 points at the Rome Masters. This is a significant loss in the ATP rankings race, in the context that he is currently world No. 2. However, this player said that the top priority is still to ensure long-term fitness.
The withdrawal decision also means that Alcaraz's ambition to win a full set of Grand Slams in 2026 is over, even though he had previously won the Australian Open.
Alcaraz's absence opens up opportunities for competitors. Jannik Sinner is considered the top candidate for the Roland Garros championship, while Novak Djokovic is still a formidable opponent with the goal of conquering his 25th Grand Slam title in his career.
Since 2021, Alcaraz has rarely missed Grand Slam tournaments, except for the 2023 Australian Open due to injury. During this period, he won 7 major titles, thereby affirming his position as one of the world's leading tennis players.
However, the continuous physical problems in clay court seasons, from muscle injuries in 2024 to wrist injuries this year, are posing challenges to Alcaraz's ability to maintain form in a dense schedule.
