Patrick Mouratoglou Casts Doubt Over Carlos Alcaraz’s Roland Garros Return

Carlos Alcaraz is expected to withdraw from the Italian Open, which he won last year in Rome.

Patrick Mouratoglou Casts Doubt Over Carlos Alcaraz’s Roland Garros Return

Carlos Alcaraz and Patrick Mouratoglou (via X/Carlos Alcaraz 4K/Eurosport)

In Short
  • Patrick Mouratoglou doubts Carlos Alcaraz will return from injury in time for Roland Garros.
  • Alcaraz's wrist injury has forced him to withdraw from the Madrid Open and raises concerns about his clay-court season.
  • Missing key tournaments could significantly impact Alcaraz's chances of regaining the World No. 1 ranking.

Patrick Mouratoglou has expressed serious doubts over Carlos Alcaraz‘s chances of returning from injury before Roland Garros. The Spaniard suffered an injury setback during his opening match at the Barcelona Open, which subsequently forced him to withdraw from the ongoing Madrid Open.

Alcaraz, a two-time Roland Garros champion, faces an uncertain disruption of his clay-court campaign. Following his runner-up finish at the Monte Carlo Masters, he aimed to return to the top of the ATP rankings by winning the Barcelona Open. But that didn’t go as planned, as he sustained a wrist injury during his match against Otto Virtanen.

His absence from the Madrid Open, a tournament played in his home country, has reinforced the seriousness of the issue, with further uncertainty surrounding his participation at the Italian Open. With no information on the injury’s severity, the use of a cast on his forearm has raised alarm among coaches and fans.

Alcaraz’s injury carries broader implications beyond a single tournament. The 22-year-old is involved in a race to become World No.1 after losing it to his arch-rival Jannik Sinner a few weeks ago. So, missing key clay-court events could significantly affect his chances of returning to the top of the ATP rankings.

Alcaraz is the defending champion of the Italian Open and French Open. Should he miss the Italian Open, he will lose 1,000 points, and if he does miss the two events, he will lose 3,000 points. In a video posted on Instagram, Patrick Mouratoglou claimed the visible signs of Alcaraz’s injury make it hard for him to be ready for the Roland Garros:

Based on the information we have and on what we’ve seen of the forearm of Carlos Alcaraz, I don’t see how he can play Roland Garros. But my experience tells me if they decided to put a cast, it’s not a good sign. First of all, because the wrist has to be completely still. And second, for a week, two weeks, three weeks, I don’t know. The muscles are not going to work at all. The muscles are going to start to shrink, and then it will take time to come back.

Alcaraz has not played in the Madrid Open this season. Since 2024, he has always announced that he will play in four clay tournaments, but on several occasions, he ends up playing either three or four events. For the past three seasons, he has always suffered an injury during the clay-court season, which has become a real concern.

Carlos Alcaraz told not to rush his return to the tour from injury

Carlos Alcaraz has yet to decide whether he will play at the Italian Open or not. However, there are indications that he might skip the event and focus on getting ready for Roland Garros. But should he not make it before the Roland Garros kicks off on May 30, Alcaraz is ready to continue his recuperation rather than risk the injury.

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

Several legendary coaches, including Toni Nadal, have advised him to be cautious and avoid rushing a swift comeback, as he still has a long career ahead on tour. Patrick Mouratoglou joined the bandwagon of advisers in the aforementioned social media post, pointing out that Alcaraz doesn’t need to jeopardize his career for the present need of title defense:

Of course, it’s a difficult decision to not play in Madrid, which is his home city, and probably not play Rome and maybe skip even Roland Garros. He said, a career is long. I’m not going to jeopardize potentially my career for short term, even though the short term is very important. Carlos is a double defending champion of Roland Garros. He’s also in a race to be number one with Jannik and potentially can miss a second Grand Slam.

Alcaraz achieved one of the biggest legacies of his career earlier this season at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne. The Spaniard defeated Novak Djokovic in four sets to become the youngest man to win a Career Grand Slam. At the age of 22, he already has seven Grand Slams to his name.

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