Carlos Alcaraz serve change questioned after wrist injury scare

Carlos Alcaraz’s strong start to the 2026 ATP season was interrupted by a setback earlier this month.

After losing the world number one ranking to Jannik Sinner in Monte Carlo, Alcaraz made his way up to Barcelona, hoping to defend the title he claimed last year.

Alcaraz showed signs of discomfort in his right wrist during his opening match against Otto Virtanen.

The issue forced him out of both the Barcelona tournament and later, the Madrid Open as well.

A week later, he pulled out of both the Italian Open and Roland Garros, much to the frustration of fans around the world.

Rennae Stubbs has since weighed in on Alcaraz’s situation, highlighting an aspect of his game she finds particularly concerning.

Rennae Stubbs raises concerns about Carlos Alcaraz’s serve changes

“One thing I do [wonder] is that [Alcaraz is] playing a lot of golf,” Stubbs said on The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast.

“I don’t know if that is causing him problems, because if you play golf and play it well you are taking divots and you are using your wrist on the golf shot a lot. I don’t know if that has anything to do with it, a doctor can answer that more than I could.”

Stubbs, who won six Grand Slam titles in doubles and mixed doubles during her career, went on to talk about the changes Alcaraz has made to his service motion in recent months.

Alcaraz had already made changes to his service motion before the start of this season, and those tweaks led to several comparisons with Novak Djokovic’s own technique.

The comparisons even reached Djokovic himself, who jokingly said earlier this year that he might need to discuss ‘copyright’ with Alcaraz.

Stubbs added: “But also he changed his service motion this year, where he is starting with that little wrist bend. I think about Novak, he had his issues with his elbow.

“I have to say, I do not like that start of that serve.

“As great as a server as Novak is, that little hitch that he does at the start and then he bends it back again. I don’t know if that is causing any problems with the wrist.

Carlos Alcaraz reportedly put an end to physical therapy after just two weeks of an initial eight-week program.

Alcaraz issues statement following French Open withdrawal

Alcaraz shared the news on Instagram, saying: “After the results of the tests carried out today, we have decided that the most prudent thing is to be cautious and not participate in Rome and Roland Garros, while we wait to assess the evolution to decide when we will return to the court.

“It’s a complicated moment for me, but I’m sure we’ll come out stronger from here.”

Missing a second Grand Slam in a row is a big blow for Alcaraz. Last year at Roland Garros, he fought back from two sets down to beat Jannik Sinner in five before defeating Alexander Zverev for his first title in Paris.

The 23-year-old returned earlier this season with hopes of another strong run. While there’s still plenty of time left this year, skipping Roland Garros and Rome means Alcaraz won’t pick up points from those tournaments, which could make it hard for him to close the gap on Sinner by season’s end.

With Carlos Alcaraz now out of both Rome and Paris, attention turns toward whether he’ll recover in time for Wimbledon or set his sights on returning closer to the US Open later in the summer.

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