Madrid, April 24, 2026
Spanish tennis star Carlos Alcaraz announced on Friday that he will not defend his title at the French Open, citing a lingering injury sustained during the Barcelona Open.
Injury Forces Withdrawal
The 22-year-old Spaniard revealed his decision in a post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), describing it as a "schwieriger Moment" ("difficult moment"). He explained that medical tests conducted earlier in the day led to the conclusion that skipping both the Rome Masters and the French Open was the most prudent course of action.
"Nach den Ergebnissen der heute durchgeführten Tests haben wir entschieden, dass es am vernünftigsten ist, vorsichtig zu sein und weder in Rom noch bei den French Open anzutreten" ("Based on the results of today's tests, we decided that the most reasonable thing is to be cautious and not compete in Rome or at the French Open"), Alcaraz wrote.
Recent Struggles with Fitness
This marks another setback for Alcaraz, who was also forced to withdraw from the Madrid Masters-1000 tournament earlier this season. The injury, sustained during his home tournament in Barcelona, cut short his campaign there as well.
Despite the disappointment, Alcaraz struck an optimistic tone, stating, "Aber ich bin sicher, dass wir daraus gestärkt hervorgehen werden" ("But I am sure that we will come out stronger from this"). His absence from the French Open, which begins on May 24, leaves the field wide open for rivals like Jannik Sinner to capitalize.