Carlos Alcaraz has vowed not to take any risks with his wrist injury, determined to avoid aggravating the problem and risking a longer spell on the sidelines.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion will miss this week’s Madrid Open after picking up the injury during his opening-round win at the Barcelona Open last week, which later forced him to withdraw before his second-round match.
His team had initially hoped he could still compete at the ATP Masters 1000 event in the Spanish capital, but scans revealed the issue is more serious than first thought, with medical advice now ruling him out of the tournament.
The Italian Open follows immediately after Madrid, and Alcaraz – the defending champion in Rome – has now all but accepted he will also sit that event out, with the French Open emerging as his primary recovery target.
Fresh from being named Laureus World Sportsman of the Year on Monday after a stellar 2025 season that included French Open and US Open titles as well as a return to world No 1, Alcaraz reflected on the setback with perspective.
“In professional sport, there are always little bumps in the road, but it’s our duty to come back even better and stronger. We’ll try to look after ourselves as best we can now so we can return as soon as possible,” he said.
“The test I’m facing is just another one of the tests I’ve already had. I had a test, but it was a close call, so we decided to give it some time before having a second test. It’s not a different test, just another one to see how the area is doing after a week’s rest.
“Percentages? I don’t know, I can’t say anything right now.”
But the world No 2 has made it clear that he won’t take risks by playing at Roland Garros while not fully fit, even if he is the defending champion.
Last year, he successfully defended his French Open crown as he saved three match points en route to beating Jannik Sinner in the final.
“As I’ve said, we have a very long career ahead of us, many years of good tennis,” he said. “Pushing myself at this Roland Garros could really harm me for future tournaments, so we’ll see how the test goes; that’s what we’re focusing on.
“I’d rather come back a little later and come back fit, than come back a little sooner and come back injured. You have to look after yourself because a tennis player’s career can be very long.”
