Andrea Petkovic Gives Harsh Reality Check on Carlos Alcaraz’s Popularity After French Open Withdrawal

Carlos Alcaraz has announced that he will not play the Italian Open and French Open due to a wrist injury.

Andrea Petkovic Gives Harsh Reality Check on Carlos Alcaraz’s Popularity After French Open Withdrawal

Carlos Alcaraz and Andrea Petkovic (via X/Roland Garros/RTL Sports)

In Short
  • Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from the French Open due to a wrist injury sustained at the Barcelona Open.
  • Andrea Petkovic notes that fans quickly shift their focus to other players, highlighting Rafael Jodar's rising popularity.
  • Alcaraz's absence creates uncertainty in the men's circuit, particularly regarding the competition at the upcoming Italian Open and French Open.

Carlos Alcaraz’s withdrawal from the Roland Garros event has sent a surprising shockwave through the sporting world. The 2024 and 2025 champion was expected to feature at the tournament next month, but a wrist injury has forced him to pull out. Former tennis player Andrea Petkovic believes fans will quickly move past the sad news of Alcaraz’s absence.

After claiming the Australian Open and becoming the youngest man to claim a Career Grand Slam, there was hope that Alcaraz would give the tennis world another excellent performance at Roland Garros. He produced a stunning comeback at the tournament last year, coming from a set down to beat his arch-rival Jannik Sinner after five hours and 29 minutes.

The Spaniard will be greatly missed during this clay season, having lost one match on the red dirt last year. The 22-year-old was by far the best player in the clay swing, winning three titles, including two ATP Masters 1000 titles. And he was expected to become the first man since his idol, Rafael Nadal, to win the French Open three times in a row this year.

Alcaraz’s injury came at the Barcelona Open a few weeks ago, the same tournament where he suffered a left hamstring injury and discomfort in his right adductor muscles. He was playing Finnish star Otto Virtanen in the second round when he twisted his forearm to win a point. He continued the match, but after testing the following day, he decided to withdraw from the tournament.

He withdrew from the ongoing Madrid Open last week and announced on Friday (April 24) that he will not play the Italian Open and the French Open. However, the sports wait for nobody, and the tournaments will be played without him. During a conversation on Tennis Channel, former German player Petkovic revealed that the Spanish fans have already chosen another local hero who will replace Alcaraz:

I will say, though, people and tennis fans move on really quickly. The moment Rafael Jodar beat Alex de Minaur, it was like Carlos Alcaraz never existed, and the Spanish fans just…it’s true. It’s a terrible sport. We are terrible people. But this is, unfortunately, the world of capitalism.

Already, the Spanish media have begun to praise Rafael Jodar and Martin Landaluce at the Madrid Open. Jodar reached the semi-finals of the Barcelona Open after being handed a wildcard. He had claimed his first ATP title at the Marrakesh Open a few weeks back. Landaluce reached the quarter-finals of the Miami Open last month, his first Masters 1000 last eight.

Former tennis player believes Carlos Alcaraz will be heavily missed at the French Open

Carlos Alcaraz’s withdrawal creates a vacuum in the men’s circuit. It is easy to predict who the winner of the Italian Open and French Open will be following his withdrawal. And with Novak Djokovic still struggling with some physical issues, there’s a clear uncertainty about what to expect from him at Roland Garros.

Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X/Carlos Alcaraz 4K)

Fans love rivalries, and that’s what Alcaraz offers with Sinner. When there’s none of that, it’s one-way traffic. It’s either Sinner wins, or nobody comes close, which might make this year’s Roland Garros a little bit unattractive. During the aforementioned conversation, CoCo Vandweghe believes that Alcaraz will be heavily missed at this year’s French Open:

You want to see the defending champions be able to contend for their title again. You want to see them be able to go up against the best in the world, the three out of five, the biggest show in our sports is the Grand Slam, so it’s tough to see world number one not be able to defend his title.

Djokovic has not played a tour-level match since the Indian Wells Open last month. In fact, he has played just two tournaments this season, the fewest at this time of year compared to previous years. Yet, there’s no confirmation that he will return to the court at the Italian Open, but he’s expected to play at Roland Garros, which kicks off on May 30 in Paris.

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