Carlos Alcaraz won’t be back to defend his French Open title in 2026.
The Spaniard took to social media to confirm his withdrawal from this year’s tournament, and Roland Garros shared a message soon after.
Alcaraz isn’t the only former French Open champion who has been ruled out. Rafael Nadal will also miss the 2026 event due to injury.
The 15-time Roland Garros winner has also struggled with injuries this year and, while he is hoping to return later this season, he’s yet to confirm a date for his comeback.
Roland Garros sends well wishes to Carlos Alcaraz following his injury
“Some heartbreaking news as Carlos Alcaraz, our 2024 and 2025 champion, will not be able to defend his title at Roland-Garros 2026 due to a wrist injury,” they wrote on X.
“Wishing you all the best in your recovery, Carlos. We’ll miss you!”
Alcaraz hasn’t played since the Barcelona Open, where he picked up the injury during a win over Otto Virtanen. The following day, he withdrew from Barcelona and later pulled out of Madrid as well.
Speaking at the Laureus Sports Awards in Madrid, Alcaraz mentioned that he was waiting on more tests before deciding whether to play in Rome or Roland Garros.
With both tournaments now off his schedule, it’s clear the situation is as serious as initially feared. A return in time for the grass-court season would be ideal for Alcaraz but nothing is set yet.
Losing out on both the Italian Open and French Open means he’ll drop 3,000 ranking points by mid-June. That’s a big hit for someone chasing world number one status again.
Only two former winners in this year’s French Open field
With Alcaraz out, the only past champions left in this year’s field are Stan Wawrinka and Novak Djokovic. Wawrinka, who won the title back in 2015, has received a wild card entry but isn’t expected to make a deep run.
The 41-year-old is set to retire later this year and has struggled for form, picking up just a few wins so far in 2026. Djokovic, meanwhile, is still chasing his 25th Grand Slam title—a record that would further cement his place among the all-time greats.
Since winning number 24 at the 2023 US Open, though, he’s struggled against the likes of Jannik Sinner and Alcaraz himself. But with Alcaraz out of the frame this time, it could be Djokovic’s best opportunity yet to add another major trophy to his collection. Other players will also be looking to take advantage of Alcaraz’s absence.
World number three Alexander Zverev is still searching for his first Grand Slam title despite reaching three major finals. After losing to Alcaraz in last year’s French Open final, he’ll see this as a golden chance.
Lorenzo Musetti and Arthur Fils among other contenders
Lorenzo Musetti and Arthur Fils are two other names worth keeping an eye on. The Italian was strong on clay throughout last season, making semi-final runs at all four major clay events.
And Fils has looked sharp since returning from injury, already capitalising once on Alcaraz’s absence by taking the Barcelona title earlier this year.
Whether he can repeat that success in Paris remains to be seen. With the draw wide open and plenty of storylines developing, you won’t want to miss when play gets underway on Sunday, May 24th.
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