Carlos Alcaraz officially ruled out of Roland Garros
Alcaraz injured his wrist in Barcelona, and the impact of it has now been fully realised.
The Spaniard had already pulled out of Madrid, and his status for Rome remained unclear. That naturally led to questions about whether he’d be fit in time for Roland Garros.
Unfortunately for both Alcaraz and the wider tennis community, those concerns have come true.
Carlos Alcaraz will not compete at the French Open this year, meaning a new champion will be crowned in Paris.
Alcaraz says he’ll skip Roland Garros after latest tests
He posted a message earlier in the day to let everyone know, sounding understandably disappointed.
“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,” he began. “We wait to evaluate the progress so we can decide when to return to the court.”
Alcaraz then added: “This is a difficult time for me, but I am sure we will come out of it stronger.”
It’s a tough break for Alcaraz, though it didn’t come as a huge shock after his recent comments about his recovery.
Jannik Sinner now the favourite to win Roland Garros
Alcaraz’s withdrawal changes the outlook for Jannik Sinner, who has been open about how much he enjoys competing against his rival.
The competition between them has raised their levels, and Sinner will notice the difference without that familiar challenge. With Alcaraz out, the path to completing a career Grand Slam looks more open than ever for Sinner.
Sinner was agonisingly close to winning Roland Garros last year before a stunning late turnaround cost him the title.
This time, there won’t be quite as big an obstacle standing in his way. But that also brings new pressure. With so many people now calling it his tournament to lose, he’ll need to handle those expectations as well as play his best tennis.
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