Reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz says he won't defend his French Open title; here's why

Carlos Alcaraz will not defend his French Open title this year, as the two-time reigning champion has pulled out of both the Rome Masters and French Open while recovering from a wrist injury.The world No. 2 shared the update on X on Friday, saying he and his team decided it was best to avoid rushing his comeback after the injury he suffered during the Barcelona Open earlier this month."We have decided that the most prudent thing to do is to be cautious and not participate in Rome or Roland Garros," Alcaraz said on social media."It's a complicated moment for me, but I'm sure we'll come out stronger from this," the Spaniard added, saying that he and his team would monitor his recovery before deciding when and where he would return.Alcaraz picked up the injury during the first round of the Barcelona Open last week. He beat Otto Virtanen in that match but later withdrew from the tournament.He had already pulled out of the Madrid Masters on April 17, which raised doubts over his participation at Roland Garros. After further medical tests on Friday, he confirmed he would also miss Paris.The 22-year-old became the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam in January after winning the Australian Open. He has a 22-3 record this season and also won a title in Doha.Alcaraz lost the world No. 1 ranking after his defeat to Jannik Sinner in the Monte Carlo Masters final on April 12.The seven-time Grand Slam winner won Roland Garros in 2024 and 2025. In last year’s final, he saved three championship points against Sinner to retain the title.