Why Djokovic may need to skip Roland Garros after Alcaraz pulls out of Wimbledon

Carlos Alcaraz has pulled out of Wimbledon as he continues to recover from an injury.

The 21-year-old, who also missed the Queen’s tournament, posted a message on Instagram explaining his decision to withdraw from both events.

“My recovery is going well, and I’m feeling much better, but unfortunately, I’m still not ready to compete,” Alcaraz said. “We’ll keep working to come back as soon as possible!”

Alcaraz’s absence could have a big impact on the men’s draw. Djokovic will be looking to make the most of it as he chases another title.

Why Djokovic could skip Roland Garros and focus on Wimbledon

A lot of fans have already accepted that it’s unlikely Novak Djokovic will win another Grand Slam title when he’s up against Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

But with one of those two now missing, a lot of people would back him to get the job done.

Alcaraz, who pulled out from the French Open and Queen’s because of a forearm injury, has now also been ruled out from Wimbledon.

And with his comeback expected at the Paris Olympics in July, this means that there is a major opportunity for Djokovic to close in on his 25th Grand Slam title.

Some might see this as two chances for the Serb to take home another title, but things aren’t as simple as that.

If Djokovic has any hopes of winning one of those tournaments, his age means he has to choose one over the other. And prioritising Wimbledon over Roland Garros makes more sense.

The Serb has always been stronger on grass compared to clay. He holds an 89% win record at SW19 and has seven titles there. Compare that to an 86% win record at Roland Garros with three trophies.

The odds are much higher for him in London than they are in Paris. With a recent clay defeat still fresh against Dino Prizmic at Rome, he should stay clear of France altogether and head straight onto grass instead.

Why Djokovic may feel obligated to play at Roland Garros

Roland Garros has already lost one of the sport’s biggest names from this year’s lineup, and they’ll do anything they can to keep Djokovic from pulling out as well.

And he might not want to miss it either.

There are reasons to skip Paris for Wimbledon, but those arguments ignore the personal side of the decision.

Djokovic is nearing 40, and he’s spoken openly about not knowing how many seasons he has left. For him, every Grand Slam appearance matters more than ever.

“I mean, this could have been the last match ever I played here, so I don’t know. That’s why I was a bit more emotional even in the end,” he said after losing to Sinner in last year’s semi-finals.

“But if this was the farewell match of Roland Garros for me in my career, it was a wonderful one in terms of the atmosphere and what I got from the crowd.”

If he’s healthy enough to play on Court Philippe Chatrier again, would Djokovic really pass up that moment just for a better shot at winning Wimbledon?

Nobody knows how long he has left. Only Djokovic can decide if it makes sense – physically or emotionally – to skip an event where he could still have unfinished business.

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