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Carlos Alcaraz will miss this year's Wimbledon after confirming he is continuing his recovery from a wrist injury. The two-time Wimbledon champion announced that he is not yet fit enough to return to competition and has decided to sit out the grass-court season.
The world number two sustained the injury to his right wrist during the opening round of the Barcelona Open last month. The setback forced him to withdraw from the tournament and later also ruled him out of the French Open, where he had entered as the two-time defending champion.
Sharing the news with fans on Instagram, Alcaraz said his recovery has been progressing positively, but he has not reached the stage where he can compete again.
He explained that while he is feeling better, he still needs more time before returning to action and would therefore miss both Queen's and Wimbledon. He added that the tournaments hold a special place in his career and said he would continue working toward making a full return as soon as possible.
The 23-year-old had reached the Wimbledon final last year but was defeated by rival Jannik Sinner after entering the event as a two-time defending champion.
Alcaraz had started the year strongly, capturing his first Australian Open title and becoming the youngest male player to complete a career Grand Slam. Expectations were high for another successful season, but the injury has interrupted his momentum and will keep him out for a large part of both the clay and grass campaigns.
His absence could also have a major impact on the ATP rankings. Sinner, who recently overtook Alcaraz as world number one, has been in dominant form and has claimed six consecutive Masters 1000 titles, including three in the past five weeks.
The rivalry between Alcaraz and Sinner has shaped men's tennis in recent seasons, with the pair sharing the last nine Grand Slam singles titles. Alcaraz has won five of those championships.
Without Alcaraz in the draw, Wimbledon becomes more open for the rest of the field. However, Sinner has also revealed that he plans to avoid additional grass-court tournaments before Wimbledon following a demanding run of matches.
Wrist injuries remain one of the most difficult injuries for tennis players to manage, making caution essential in the recovery process.
