Carlos Alcaraz will not compete at Wimbledon this year after suffering a wrist injury at the Barcelona Open in April. The injury, confirmed as severe tenosynovitis — inflammation of the tendon sheath — has ruled him out of the majority of the clay court season, including the French Open, and the entire grass court season.
Alcaraz's withdrawal and recovery
Announcing his withdrawal from Wimbledon in May, Alcaraz said in a statement: '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. 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 23-year-old has not undergone surgery on his right wrist, opting instead for a rehabilitation process. No exact return date has been officially confirmed, but a return for the American hard court swing in August is possible if recovery proceeds as planned. A wrist injury to a player's dominant hand is considered one of the worst ailments for a tennis player, given the power and explosiveness required in shots. However, there is currently no indication that Alcaraz will not make a full recovery.
Impact on Wimbledon and Grand Slam prospects
Alcaraz, a seven-time Grand Slam champion including Wimbledon titles in 2023 and 2024, will have to wait for another opportunity to add to his collection. His absence has made Jannik Sinner the overwhelming favourite to win Wimbledon this year. Sinner, the defending champion after beating Alcaraz in last year's final, is considered head and shoulders above other players on tour, with the exception of his Spanish rival.
Sinner's season and title chances
Sinner has enjoyed a sensational first half of the season, completing an historic sweep of the first five ATP Masters 1000 tournaments of the year: Indian Wells, Miami Open, Monte-Carlo Masters, Madrid Open and Italian Open. This achievement made him just the second man in history, after Novak Djokovic, to win all nine Masters 1000 titles. However, Sinner has not added to his four Grand Slam titles this season. He was beaten in the semi-finals of the Australian Open by Djokovic, and at the French Open, he squandered a two-set lead in his second-round match against world No. 56 Juan Manuel Cerundolo, hampered by stifling heat.
