MADRID, SPAIN – Two-time reigning French Open champion Carlos Alcaraz said on Friday he will not play at this year’s tournament as he recovers from a wrist injury.

The Spaniard said the call was made after undergoing tests on his right wrist, ruling him out of the year’s second Grand Slam and the Italian Open.

“We have decided that the most prudent thing to do is to be cautious and not participate in Rome or Roland Garros,” Alcaraz said on social media.

“This is a difficult time for me, but I’m sure I will come out of it stronger,” Alcaraz added, saying that he and his team would monitor his recovery before deciding when and where he would return.

Sinner to capitalise

Alcaraz sustained the injury during the first round of the Barcelona Open last week, where he beat Otto Virtanen but subsequently withdrew from the tournament.

The 22-year-old announced his withdrawal from the Madrid Masters on Friday 17 April, increasing concerns over whether he would be able to appear at the French Open.

Alcaraz became the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam in January with his triumph at the Australian Open. He holds a 22-3 record this season and also won a title in Doha.

Ranked second in the world, Alcaraz lost top spot following his defeat by Jannik Sinner in the Monte Carlo Masters final on Sunday 12 April.

The seven-time Grand Slam winner triumphed at Roland Garros in 2024 and 2025. He saved three championship points against Sinner last year in the longest French Open final in history.

The Italian, who has never won the French Open, may be able to capitalise on Alcaraz’s absence. This year’s tournament runs from Monday 24 May to Sunday 7 June.

Long-term career

Alcaraz admitted earlier this week that if it was better for his long-term career not to play in Paris then he would take that decision.

“I’d rather come back maybe a bit later, but in great shape, than come back quickly and risk making this injury worse,” he explained on Monday.

“I have a long career ahead of me, so I’m not afraid to miss what I have to miss in order to recover as well as possible. I hope it’s nothing serious, but I need to fully recover if I don’t want this to cause me problems in the future.”

It will be just the second Grand Slam that Alcaraz has missed since making his main draw debut at the 2021 Australian Open. The Spaniard withdrew from the 2023 edition in Melbourne with a hamstring injury.