French Open title hopes dashed for Alcaraz due to wrist injury

Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz has announced that he will not participate in this year’s French Open due to a wrist injury. According to Alcaraz, his team made the decision to shut down his clay season after receiving test results on his right wrist. This ruling also applies to the Italian Open.

Alcaraz sustained the injury during the first round of the Barcelona Open last week and subsequently withdrew from the tournament. He had previously announced his withdrawal from the Madrid Masters on April 17, sparking concerns about his ability to compete at the French Open.

The 22-year-old Alcaraz became the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam in January with his triumph at the Australian Open. He currently holds a 22-3 record this season and has also won a title in Doha. Following his defeat by Jannik Sinner in the Monte Carlo Masters final on April 12, Alcaraz lost his top spot in the world rankings.

Sinner, who defeated Alcaraz in their recent match, expressed sympathy for his opponent’s situation. “It’s sad news for all of us,” he said. “We need to look at our bodies first before worse things happen.” Sinner hopes that Alcaraz will be able to return to competition by the time the Wimbledon tournament arrives.

Alcaraz acknowledged that if it was better for his long-term career not to play in Paris, he would take that decision. He stated that he prefers to recover fully rather than risk exacerbating the injury and expressed hope that it is nothing serious. This will be Alcaraz’s second Grand Slam missed since making his main draw debut at the 2021 Australian Open.

Source: Al Jazeera