Jannik Sinner has reacted to Carlos Alcaraz pulling out of the upcoming French Open with a wrist injury, with the Italian making a worrying claim about his rival.
On Friday (April 24), world No. 2 Alcaraz issued a statement confirming that he will miss the Roland Garros tournament due to an ongoing wrist injury.
The Spaniard, who is the defending champion, was forced to withdraw from last week’s Barcelona Open after picking up the issue in the first round.
The 22-year-old did not take part in the ongoing Madrid Open and has also confirmed that he will sit out both the Italian Open and the French Open.
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“After the results of the tests carried out today, we have decided that the most prudent thing to do is to be cautious and not participate in Rome or Roland Garros, while we assess the situation to determine when we can return to the court,” Alcaraz posted on Instagram.
“This is a difficult time for me, but I am sure we will come out of this stronger.”
Alcaraz’s absence makes world No. 1 Sinner the outright favourite to win the second Grand Slam of 2026, while world No. 3 Alexander Zverev and veteran Novak Djokovic may also fancy their chances.
The Serbian has also been dealing with injury issues of his own, but made clear that he hopes to be fit for the French Open earlier this week.
Jannik Sinner reacts to Carlos Alcaraz French Open pull out
Barring any freak accidents, Sinner will take part in the tournament, with the Italian offering his thoughts on Alcaraz’s situation.
“Tennis needs Carlos,” said Sinner. “Tennis is a much better sport when he’s around.
“But being young and going through difficult moments, it can happen. I do believe he’s going to come back stronger than before. But injuries are always tough, especially a wrist.
“There are certain areas of our body that are very sensitive. The wrist—we’ve seen with other players in the past—that it can complicate things. So I hope he’s going to come back and that he will not have any further injuries.”
When asked about the timeframe fans should expect Alcaraz to be out for, he added: “If you come back too early, then maybe you have a bigger problem afterwards.
“We all want him to be competitive when he returns. In this case, the next goal for him, I hope, is Wimbledon. So I hope he’s going to be back there.
“I sent him my best wishes for a speedy recovery, though it’s painful and very sad for all of tennis.”
Sinner can complete his career Grand Slam with victory at the French Open, which gets under way on May 18.
Topics: Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Tennis, Injury
Luke Davies