Alcaraz Withdraws from Wimbledon 2026 Amid Wrist Injury and Ranking Shift
Carlos Alcaraz has confirmed his absence from the 2026 Wimbledon tournament, citing an ongoing right wrist injury that has sidelined him since the Barcelona Open.
Two-time Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from the 2026 tournament due to an ongoing right wrist injury, BBC Sport reports. The Spanish player, who has reached the final in the previous three years, stated on Instagram that he is not yet ready to compete. Alcaraz previously withdrew from the Barcelona Open and the French Open to recover. He will miss the entire grass-court season, including the Queen's Championships, and the majority of the clay-court swing.
Alcaraz announced the withdrawal via Instagram on Tuesday, stating, "My recovery is going well and I'm feeling much better, but unfortunately I'm still not ready to compete." He noted that the decision necessitates his absence from both the Queen's Championships and Wimbledon, tournaments he described as "truly special." The injury was initially sustained during the first round of the Barcelona Open last month, forcing an early exit from that event and subsequently the French Open, where he is the two-time defending champion.
The withdrawal coincides with significant shifts in the men's tennis rankings. Alcaraz lost the world number one ranking to Jannik Sinner last month. Sinner has won three clay-court Master 1000 tournaments in the last five weeks, and Alcaraz is set to lose further ground in the rankings to the Italian. Alcaraz began the 2026 year by winning his first Australian Open title, becoming the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam.
Alcaraz was the two-time defending champion at last year's Wimbledon but lost the 2025 final to Jannik Sinner. His absence from the 2026 event marks a significant gap in his schedule, as he had been expected to build on his early-season success. The exact timeline for Alcaraz's return to competition remains unspecified, aside from his general statement to "come back as soon as possible."
The specific medical prognosis for the wrist injury is not detailed in the source material. However, the impact on the tournament field is immediate, with Alcaraz ruling himself out of the final major of the season. The Spanish player will now focus on rehabilitation, missing the entirety of the grass-court swing and a substantial portion of the clay-court calendar.
