NEW DELHI: Carlos Alcaraz will miss this year’s Wimbledon after failing to recover fully from a wrist injury, ending hopes of another title run at the All England Club. The Spanish star confirmed that he is also withdrawing from the Queen’s tournament as he continues rehabilitation following the injury suffered during the Barcelona Open last month.“My recovery is going well and I’m feeling much better, but unfortunately I’m still not ready to play, I am obliged to withdraw from both Queen’s and Wimbledon,” Alcaraz said.The 23-year-old added, “These are two really special tournaments for me and I’ll miss them a lot. We’ll keep working to come back as soon as possible.”Alcaraz has not played since April after also pulling out of tournaments in Madrid, Rome, and Roland Garros. The world No. 2 had been enjoying another strong season, winning the Australian Open earlier this year to complete a career Grand Slam at a young age. He also claimed a title in Doha and built a 22-3 record this season before the injury setback.Last month, Alcaraz had already hinted that he would not rush his return. “I’d rather come back maybe a bit later, but in great shape, than come back quickly and risk making this injury worse,” he explained.“I have a long career ahead of me, so I’m not afraid to miss what I have to miss in order to recover as well as possible.”Alcaraz’s absence is a major boost for Jannik Sinner, who is now considered the favourite for both the French Open and Wimbledon titles. The growing rivalry between the two young stars has become one of tennis’ biggest attractions.“It’s sad news for all of us, me being a competitor you want to play against the best players in the world and he’s definitely the best player on this surface,” Sinner said after hearing the news.
