Kari AndersonContributing writerMon, April 20, 2026 at 7:53 PM UTC·3 min readThe 2026 French Open might look a little different this year, with Carlos Alcaraz currently unsure if he will be able to play at Roland-Garros due to a wrist injury. Alcaraz has won the past two French Open titles, including a grueling five-hour comeback against Jannik Sinner last year.
In a press conference ahead of the Laureus Awards in Madrid on Monday — where he went on to win Sportsman of the Year — Alcaraz said that he was waiting on more tests on his wrist before he could determine his availability for this year’s French Open.
“I’m trying to have a lot of patience these days, but I’m doing okay,” he said in Spanish, via Teledeporte, adding that he was trying to “stay positive.”
🎾 Carlos Alcaraz no asegura su presencia en Roland Garros.El tenis murciano ha confirmado a @La1_tve que está esperando pruebas médicas para tomar una decisión.📺 La gala de los premios Laureus, esta noche, a las 20:00 en @la2_tve pic.twitter.com/Dx3zT3bB9a
Earlier this week, Alcaraz pulled out of the Madrid Open, which begins Monday. In a post on social media on Friday, Alcaraz made the “incredibly difficult” announcement that he would be missing the competition, adding that it “hurts” not to play in front of his home crowd in Spain. It’s the second year in a row that Alcaraz has missed the Madrid Open, pulling out of the competition last year due to injuries in both legs.
Hay noticias que cuesta muchísimo dar. Madrid es casa, uno de los lugares más especiales del calendario para mí, y por eso me duele tanto no poder jugar aquí por segundo año consecutivo. Me duele especialmente no poder estar delante de mi gente, en un torneo que es tan especial.… pic.twitter.com/Qr6bznFJod
Additionally, a restaurant in Spain posted a photo on Monday of Alcaraz visiting one of their locations. In the photo, Alcaraz’s elaborate wrist splint is clearly visible.
Alcaraz and Sinner have absolutely dominated the men’s tennis circuit for the past three years, trading off major tournament titles. The last time a person who wasn’t Alcaraz or Sinner won a Grand Slam was in 2023, when Novak Djokovic won the U.S. Open; since then, Alcaraz and Sinner have combined for the past nine Grand Slams.
Alcaraz, though, has won the last two Grand Slams in a row, winning the Australian Open in February to become the youngest player to complete a career Grand Slam. He has also been more dominant on the clay, beating Sinner in the past two French Opens.
Alcaraz’s absence would leave the field open for Sinner, who has yet to win at Roland-Garros — the only Grand Slam he has yet to pick up. It would also break a streak for the pair, who have faced each other in six Grand Slam finals, including three last year alone.
Most recently, Sinner defeated Alcaraz at the Monte-Carlo Masters to retake the No. 1 ATP ranking.