Spanish world No.2 Carlos Alcaraz announced on Instagram that he will miss Wimbledon, adding the grass‑court swing at Queen’s to his list of withdrawals. The decision follows a wrist injury sustained during his first‑round win over Otto Virtanen at the Barcelona Open on April 14. Recovery is progressing, but he remains unfit for competition and hopes to return for the US Open later.

The Barcelona injury turned out to be tenosynovitis, an inflammation of the tendon sheath that forced Alcaraz out of the Italian Open and, more dramatically, the French Open where he was defending champion. Already a seven‑time Grand Slam winner after defeating Novak Djokovic in Melbourne, the 23‑year‑old now faces a rare gap in his calendar, missing two of the sport’s biggest stages and could jeopardise his year‑end ranking ambitions.

Alcaraz’s absence shatters his run of three consecutive SW19 finals – champion in 2023 and 2024, runner‑up in 2025 – and removes a key contender for the titles in Paris and London. With the world No.1 ranking recently reclaimed from Jannik Sinner, his withdrawal reshapes the draw and gives rivals a clearer path to the trophies. The British crowd will also miss seeing the young star in action.