Key Takeaways
- Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from the grass‑court swing, including the Queen’s Club Championships and Wimbledon, due to a lingering right‑wrist injury.
- The injury first surfaced during his opening match at the Conde de Godó (Barcelona) against Otto Virtanen, where he felt his wrist “give out.”
- After initial hopes of returning for the grass season, medical tests showed he is not yet fit to compete, forcing him to skip the Madrid Open, Rome Masters, and Roland Garros as well.
- Alcaraz was set to defend 500 points as the defending champion at Queen’s and 1 300 points as Wimbledon finalist (the points he earned by reaching the 2024 final).
- This marks the longest period he has been away from the tour and the first time he will miss two Grand Slams in a single season because of injury.
- Despite the setback, Alcaraz says his recovery is progressing well and he remains eager to return as soon as he is medically cleared.
Carlos Alcaraz announced via social media that he will not compete on the upcoming grass‑court swing, withdrawing from both the Queen’s Club Championships and Wimbledon. The decision follows a right‑wrist injury that first became apparent during his debut match at the Conde de Godó in Barcelona, where he faced Finnish qualifier Otto Virtanen. After feeling his wrist “give out,” Alcaraz acknowledged that the problem was more serious than he had initially anticipated.
In the days after the Barcelona loss, the Spaniard first pulled out of the Mutua Madrid Open. A week later, after undergoing further medical examinations, he confirmed that he would not be fit to resume play on clay for the remainder of the season, which forced him to miss the Rome Masters and Roland Garros. His original plan had been to target a comeback on grass, beginning with the Queen’s tournament and then moving on to Wimbledon, the third Grand Slam of the year.
The wrist issue has kept Alcaraz off the tour for an extended period. This is the longest continuous absence he has experienced since turning professional. Prior to this, his most notable injury layoff came in 2022 when a forearm strain sustained during a Monte‑Carlo practice session prevented him from playing the Monte‑Carlo Masters, Barcelona, and Rome. He managed to recover in time for the Madrid Open that year, albeit with discomfort, and went on to claim his first Coupe des Mousquetaires at Roland Garros. In 2025, a separate adductor problem caused him to miss the Madrid Open again, but he returned for Rome without further complications.
Now, with the wrist still troubling him, Alcaraz will miss two major tournaments on the grass circuit. At Queen’s, he was defending the 500 points he earned as the reigning champion; at Wimbledon, he was set to defend the 1 300 points associated with reaching the final (the points he accrued by making the 2024 Wimbledon final). The loss of these points will have a noticeable impact on his ATP ranking, potentially slipping him behind several rivals who continue to accumulate points on the surface he usually dominates.
The absence also marks a historic point in Alcaraz’s career: it will be the first time he fails to appear in two Grand Slams within the same season due to injury. His previous Grand Slam miss came at the 2023 Australian Open, where a right‑leg semimembranosus muscle injury sustained during pre‑season training kept him out of Melbourne. That episode was relatively brief, and he bounced back to win the French Open later that year. The current wrist problem, however, appears more stubborn, prompting a cautious approach to avoid aggravating the condition and jeopardizing his longer‑term health.
Despite the disappointment, Alcaraz’s message conveyed optimism. He stressed that his recovery is “on the right track” and that he feels considerably better than he did immediately after the Barcelona incident. While he is not yet ready to return to competition, he affirmed that he and his team are working diligently toward a full recovery, with the goal of resuming play as soon as medically advisable. Fans and pundits alike will be watching his rehabilitation closely, hoping to see the young Spaniard back on the grass courts—where he captured his maiden Wimbledon title in 2023—once he is fully fit.
In summary, Alcaraz’s withdrawal from the grass‑court swing underscores the challenges athletes face when managing persistent injuries, especially when they threaten participation in prestigious events like Wimbledon. The decision reflects a prudent, long‑term perspective, prioritizing health over short‑term ranking points, and sets the stage for a carefully managed comeback later in the season.