A new champion will emerge at this year’s French Open, as Carlos Alcaraz, the reigning champion, has announced his withdrawal due to a wrist injury.
He shared his decision, stating, “After today’s tests, we’ve chosen to err on the side of caution and skip both Rome and Roland Garros. We’re going to monitor the progress and determine when I can safely return to the court.” Alcaraz added, “It’s a tough moment for me, but I believe we’ll come back stronger.”
Currently ranked second in the world, Alcaraz’s injury occurred during his first-round win at the Barcelona Open this month, leading him to withdraw the next day. He also missed the Madrid Open this week, although he made an appearance at the Laureus World Sports Awards in Madrid, sporting wrist wraps.
This year’s journey started off well for Alcaraz, who had an impressive victory against Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final, making history as the youngest player to win all four major titles. However, he lost to Yannick Sinner in the Monte Carlo final earlier this month, which meant giving up his top ranking to Sinner.
Last year, he had intense matches against Sinner, winning both the Italian Open and French Open finals after saving match points. They faced off in the Wimbledon final, but Sinner triumphed there, only for Alcaraz to take the revenge in the US Open final. Notably, their last match at the French Open was a grueling five hours and 29 minutes, setting a record for the tournament.
Considering their competitive history, Alcaraz and Sinner have now claimed each of the last nine Grand Slam titles, with their matches becoming a highlight of recent tennis tournaments.
