Jannik Sinner faces pressure after Carlos Alcaraz withdrawal

Carlos Alcaraz has pulled out of the 2026 French Open after picking up a wrist injury.

He made the announcement on social media, confirming that he wouldn’t be competing at Roland Garros.

With Alcaraz sidelined, Jannik Sinner is now in a prime position to chase his Career Grand Slam in Paris.

But it’s possible that Alcaraz’s absence could have an unexpected downside for the world number one…

Jannik Sinner faces enormous expectations at Roland Garros after Carlos Alcaraz pulls out

Even with concerns over his fitness, Alcaraz would still have been among the top contenders for the title.

That responsibility now falls directly on Sinner’s shoulders. All eyes will be on him from the moment he arrives in Paris, and with good reason.

Sinner has already won the Australian Open and Wimbledon titles this year, extending his winning streak to 18 matches since losing to Daniil Medvedev at last year’s ATP Finals.

If he wins Roland Garros in June, it would make him just the sixth man ever to hold all four Grand Slam titles at once. It doesn’t get much bigger than that.

But while Sinner is clearly having a dominant run, clay isn’t traditionally where he’s thrived most. Of his career titles, only two have come on clay – with one of those being his recent win in Monte Carlo this month.

The Italian has only won two career titles on the surface, the second of which came earlier this month in Monte Carlo.

You don’t often see players entering Roland Garros as heavy favourites with so few clay-court trophies behind them.

Sinner will be feeling that weight of expectation now that Alcaraz is out of the picture. Still, there’s no denying his path to a fifth Grand Slam title has opened up considerably without Alcaraz standing in his way – especially given their recent history at Roland Garros final stages.

Jannik Sinner battles through tough opener in Madrid

But Sinner’s immediate focus remains on the Madrid Open, where he’s aiming for a fifth straight Masters 1000 title.

After getting a bye into the second round, Sinner faced world number 104 Benjamin Bonzi.

While not many expected Bonzi to make it competitive, the Frenchman took the first set in a tiebreak on Manolo Santana Stadium.

Sinner responded well, though, raising his level and taking control. He closed out the match 6-7, 6-1, 6-4 to move into the next round.

Next up for him is Denmark’s Elmer Moller in the third round on Sunday, April 26th.

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