Alcaraz Withdraws from Wimbledon & Queen’s Club with Wrist Injury

ByTennis Tour Calendar Posted on
Carlos Alcaraz defeated Novak Djokovic in the 2023 Wimbledon final
Carlos Alcaraz defeated Novak Djoković in the men's final at the 2023 Wimbledon. Photo by Daniel Cooper (Creative Commons license)

LONDON — In a devastating blow to the tennis world and his legions of fans, world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz has officially withdrawn from the upcoming HSBC Championships at Queen’s Club and the 2026 Wimbledon Championships. The 23-year-old Spaniard announced on Tuesday that an ongoing right wrist injury will prevent him from competing on grass this summer, effectively wiping out his entire grass-court season as he prioritizes his long-term recovery.

The decision comes after weeks of speculation surrounding the fitness of the seven-time Grand Slam champion. Alcaraz, who has enjoyed a stellar but physically taxing season, took to Instagram to share the unfortunate news directly with his followers.

“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,” Alcaraz wrote. “They are two truly special tournaments for me and I will miss them a lot. We’ll keep working to come back as soon as possible!”

The Genesis of the Injury

Alcaraz’s physical struggles began on April 14 during the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell. After securing a first-round victory over Finland’s Otto Virtanen, the Spaniard felt acute discomfort in his right wrist. What has since been reported as tenosynovitis—an inflammation of the protective sheath surrounding the tendon—forced him to withdraw from his scheduled second-round match against Virtanen.

Hoping that rest would solve the problem, Alcaraz initially targeted a return for the European clay-court swing. However, the severity of the injury became apparent as he was subsequently forced to pull out of high-profile tournaments, including the Madrid Open, the Italian Open, and the French Open at Roland-Garros—a tournament where he was the reigning champion.

By pulling out of the grass-court season, Alcaraz has effectively made the decision to extend his rehabilitation period to at least three months. The prolonged hiatus is a strategic move designed to ensure he is fully healed in time for the hard-court season later this year, where he will look to defend his US Open title.

A Historic Season Interrupted

The injury brings a grinding halt to what was shaping up to be an extraordinary, historic year for the young Spaniard. Alcaraz began the 2026 season in spectacular fashion, capturing his maiden Australian Open crown by defeating Novak Djokovic in Melbourne. With that victory, Alcaraz added an Australian Open title to his six previous majors, which include the US Open (2022, 2025), Wimbledon (2023, 2024), and the French Open (2024, 2025).

More significantly, the Melbourne triumph allowed Alcaraz to become the youngest man in tennis history to complete the prestigious Career Grand Slam. He eclipsed the long-standing record held by American tennis legend Don Budge, who completed the feat just two days before his 23rd birthday at the 1938 French Open. Before his injury sidebar, Alcaraz boasted an incredible 22-3 match record for the 2026 season.

His absence from the All England Club means an abrupt end to an enviable streak at SW19. Alcaraz had reached the final in each of the last three years, lifting the trophy as champion in 2023 and 2024, and finishing as the runner-up in 2025 following an epic four-set battle against Jannik Sinner.

Sinner Capitalizes as Ranking Gap Widens

Alcaraz’s misfortune has opened the door for his chief rival, Jannik Sinner, to tighten his stranglehold on the PIF ATP World No. 1 ranking. Sinner has been in imperious form, recently rewriting history by becoming the youngest player to win all nine ATP Masters 1000 events. The Italian completed a historic sweep of the “Career Golden Masters” at the Italian Open in Rome last weekend, defeating Norway’s Casper Ruud to secure his record-breaking sixth consecutive Masters 1000 title.

Sinner, who also defeated Alcaraz in the final of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters earlier this spring, has enjoyed a dominant run on clay, claiming three Masters titles in just five weeks. Having already seized the World No. 1 spot from Alcaraz last month, Sinner now sits comfortably ahead of the Spaniard by nearly 3,000 ranking points.

With Alcaraz unable to defend his massive haul of ranking points from last year’s Wimbledon final, the statistical gap between the two young titans is projected to widen significantly. Analysts are already labeling the upcoming Grand Slams as “Sinner’s to lose,” though pundits caution that the legendary Novak Djokovic should never be counted out, especially on the grass courts of Wimbledon, which may represent the 24-time Grand Slam champion’s best remaining chance to capture a record 25th major.

For now, the tennis community faces a summer without one of its most electrifying stars. While Wimbledon will undoubtedly miss Alcaraz’s trademark charisma and explosive shot-making, the Spaniard’s focus remains firmly fixed on the grueling path of rehabilitation, with the hope of a triumphant return to the hard courts of North America.