The world of tennis remains on high alert as Carlos Alcaraz faces a race against time to be fit for the 2026 Roland Garros. The Spaniard suffered a right wrist injury during the Barcelona Open earlier this month, which forced him to withdraw from the tournament after his opening match.
The situation worsened days later, when Alcaraz announced he would also miss the Madrid Open, citing that recent medical evaluations showed the injury was more serious than initially anticipated.
However, during the Laureus Awards, where he was honored as the World Sportsman of the Year, the Spaniard even cast doubt on his participation in the French Open if his injury requires more recovery time.
“We have a very long career ahead of us. Forcing myself to play this Roland Garros could seriously harm my future tournaments,” Alcaraz explained during a press conference. “I prefer to return a little later and be 100% rather than return early and in poor condition. You have to take care of yourself; the career can be very long”.
The battle for World No.1
Alcaraz’s injury comes at a pivotal moment in the fight for the top of the ATP rankings. After reclaiming the No. 1 spot in November 2025, the Spaniard recently surrendered the throne to Jannik Sinner following a thrilling defeat in the Monte-Carlo Masters final on April 12.
Despite the setback, Alcaraz remains unfazed by the rankings shuffle. “I’m not worried. I already said in Monte-Carlo, when I was healthy, that I was going to lose the number one spot regardless. The battle between Jannik and me is beautiful; we are sharing the weeks at the top, although I believe he will stay there a bit longer now,” the Spaniard added.
Sinner’s golden opportunity in the ATP Rankings
As Alcaraz noted, Sinner now faces a major opportunity to extend his lead in the rankings and solidify his position as World No. 1 for the foreseeable future. Following Alcaraz’s withdrawal from the Madrid Masters, Sinner has emerged as the clear favorite to claim the title.
The Italian also holds a strategic advantage: he is not defending any points in this tournament, having been absent from the 2025 edition. Consequently, he faces no risk of losing ground and could gain up to 1,000 points by lifting the trophy, significantly widening the gap between himself and Carlitos.
