Toni Nadal Urges Carlos Alcaraz Not to Take ‘Risk’ at Roland Garros Amid Injury Woes

Carlos Alcaraz injured his right wrist while playing at the Barcelona Open, which forced him to withdraw from his second-round match against Tomas Machac. And now, the Spaniard will not be chasing his third title at the Madrid Open as he pulled out of the second Masters 1000 on clay.

During the Laureus Awards, Alcaraz, who won the Sportsman of the Year award, told reporters that to avoid serious injuries, he could end up skipping this year’s Roland Garros, where he is a two-time defending champion. Rafael Nadal‘s uncle and former coach, Toni Nadal, also urged him to avoid rushing his comeback and said it’s better to skip the clay-court Major to recover completely.

Listening to him, it seems complicated. It seems he’s fairly certain he might miss Roland Garros. I think everything he’s said is spot on; we shouldn’t take any risk. Nowadays, at these speeds, the ball is moving so fast that it’s easy to make a sudden movement, and that’s when tendons and joints suffer. At his age, he shouldn’t take risks; he has many years left, and it’s much better to be cautious.

Toni Nadal said on Radioestadio Noche

Alcaraz became a Roland Garros champion for the first time in 2024 by defeating Alexander Zverev. Last year, he overcame a two-set deficit and saved three championship points in the fourth set to upset Jannik Sinner in a thrilling final that lasted for five hours and 29 minutes.

It’s tough for Carlos, but I think he’s wisely putting his career ahead of his desire to play immediately. Carlos Alcaraz doesn’t need to push himself. Even though things haven’t gone perfectly in the last three tournaments, it’s already been a very good year for him. He’s already won a Grand Slam.

Toni Nadal added

The Grand Slam title that Alcaraz has won is the Australian Open, beating Novak Djokovic. It made him the youngest Career Grand Slam champion. Because of his withdrawal from the Madrid Open, Sinner will continue to increase his ranking lead over Alcaraz. Sinner will gain 1000 points if he wins the title, as he had skipped the tournament last year.

Jannik Sinner on Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic’s absence at the Madrid Open

Apart from Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic will also be skipping the Madrid Open due to an injury. Djokovic, in fact, said he is ready to enter Roland Garros without any practice on clay, hinting that he could skip the Italian Open. Jannik Sinner made his feelings known on the absence of the World No.2 and the World No.4.

It’s a very tough thing for the tournament. Last year, he didn’t play, so twice in a row is tough. And also, Novak is not here; it’s tough to swallow for the tournament. It is always different when Carlos and Novak are not in the draw. I would say [this situation is] unique because we have shared since last year a lot of tournaments.

Jannik Sinner told reporters

Sinner will be chasing his fifth consecutive Masters 1000 title following his wins at the 2025 Paris Masters, and this year’s Indian Wells, Miami Open, and the Monte-Carlo Masters. His victories in the Sunshine Double events and in Monte Carlo have made him the second man, after Djokovic, to win the first three Masters 1000 of the season.

Sinner has never progressed past the quarterfinals in the Spanish capital, reaching the stage in 2024 and handing the walkover to Felix Auger-Aliassime. The four-time Grand Slam champion will be chasing the third clay-court title of his career.

In Indian Wells, Sinner beat Daniil Medvedev, while in Miami, he beat Jiri Lehecka. It was Alcaraz whom he defeated in The Principality.

Also read: Novak Djokovic Recalls Iconic ‘Not Too Bad’ Comment During Laureus 2026 Opening Speech

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