LONDON, May 19 (Reuters) - Carlos Alcaraz will skip Wimbledon as he recovers from the right wrist injury that has also forced the Spaniard out of the French Open, the world number two said on Tuesday.
The 23-year-old seven-time Grand Slam champion has not played since withdrawing from the Barcelona Open last month.
"My recovery is going well and I feel much better but unfortunately I'm still not ready to be able to play, and that's why I have to withdraw from the grass-court swing at Queen's and Wimbledon," the 2023 and 2024 Wimbledon champion wrote on X.
Alcaraz's rivalry with Italian Jannik Sinner has captivated men's tennis and his absence from the next two Grand Slam tournaments is a huge blow to fans and broadcasters alike.
The pair contested an epic French Open final last year with Alcaraz coming back to win the title before Sinner turned the tables to take the Wimbledon crown.
Alcaraz became the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam this year when he won the Australian Open but now faces the prospect of a drop down the ATP rankings.
That will be less of a concern to Alcaraz though than ensuring his wrist is completely healed before returning.
He appeared at this year's Laureus World Sports Awards with a cast on his injured wrist.
Speaking at that event, he said: "I'd rather come back a little later and with a full recovery. I need to take care of myself because I want to have a long career."
His absence from Wimbledon will make Sinner the overwhelming favourite to defend his title.
The French Open main draw gets underway at Roland Garros on Sunday while Wimbledon starts on June 29.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru and Martyn Herman in London; Editing by Ken Ferris, Toby Davis and Clare Fallon)
