Carlos Alcaraz Withdraws From Wimbledon With Wrist Injury, Extending Recovery

Carlos Alcaraz was forced to withdraw from Wimbledon as he continues his recovery from a wrist injury that will keep him out for at least three months during the most significant part of the tennis season.

Alcaraz said in a statement on social media, "My recovery is going well and I’m feeling much better, but unfortunately I’m still not ready to compete, which is why I have to withdraw from the grass-court swing at Queen’s and Wimbledon," as he ruled himself out of the grass-court swing.

Al Jazeera

The BBC said the Spaniard withdrew from last month’s Barcelona Open after sustaining the injury to his right wrist in the first round, and he subsequently pulled out of the French Open to recover.

Wimbledon begins on 29 June, and the BBC said Alcaraz was the two-time defending champion at last year’s Wimbledon but lost in the final to Jannik Sinner.

In the Guardian’s account, Alcaraz is the reigning champion at Roland Garros, where he defeated Jannik Sinner in one of the greatest grand slam finals.

With Alcaraz out, the tour faces what the Guardian described as "the mercy of Sinner, the world No 1," after the Italian won his sixth consecutive Masters 1000 title on Sunday at the Italian Open.

The Guardian also said Sinner has won 29 matches in a row, and it framed Alcaraz’s absence as leaving the men’s game with a clear title path for the 24-year-old world No. 1.

Al Jazeera

In the BBC’s framing, Alcaraz’s withdrawal "simultaneously opens up the draw and boosts Sinner's title hopes" because of Sinner’s recent dominance on the ATP Tour.

The BBC added that Sinner replaced Alcaraz as world number one last month and has won the past six Masters 1,000 tournaments, including three in the past five weeks.

The New York Times noted that Alcaraz’s absence started when he injured his right wrist during April’s Barcelona Open, and it said Alcaraz withdrew from the Madrid Open, the Italian Open, and the French Open.

Alcaraz’s decision to miss Wimbledon comes after he was already forced to withdraw from the rest of the clay-court season, including the French Open, which begins on Sunday, according to the Guardian.

The BBC said the Spaniard would now miss the entire grass court season along with the majority of the clay court swing, and it added that he is set to lose even more ground in the rankings to Italy's Sinner.

The New York Times reported that Alcaraz has been unequivocal about not rushing his comeback, quoting him in Spanish at the Laureus Awards: "Forcing things at this Roland Garros could really harm me for future tournaments."

The BBC also said Alcaraz had been set to play at Queen's, where he is a two-time winner, before Wimbledon begins on 29 June.

Looking ahead, the Guardian said Sinner will be the prohibitive favourite for Roland Garros and Wimbledon, while the BBC said wrist injuries are notoriously problematic for tennis players, especially if not managed correctly.