Carlos Alcaraz is currently sidelined from the ATP Tour with a wrist injury. The two-time French Open champion will miss out on defending his title at Roland Garros this year, and Rafael Nadal has now weighed in on his injury.
Nadal was no stranger to injuries during his playing career and had several spells on the sidelines.
Rafael Nadal Weighs In On Carlos Alcaraz’s Wrist Injury
Nadal revealed in a recent interview that he suffered the same injury as Alcaraz twice during his career. The 22-time Grand Slam champion believes his compatriot is receiving the right treatment and is confident the injury will not affect him in the long run.
“Luckily it won’t become chronic. I think he’s made the right decisions, keeping in mind that he’s very young, that he has his whole career ahead of him. He’s following the right treatment, it’s something I know well. I tore the same thing twice,” Nadal said to RNE Deportes.
Nadal praised Alcaraz for putting his long-term future into perspective rather than focusing on the short-term and playing through the pain barrier.
“He has plenty of experience. He’s no longer a rookie on the tour, he knows how things work, and obviously he’s a great player… It’s difficult, but he’s still very young. Things that, from experience, I also say what you see today as a huge disaster, when you put them in perspective, they look different,” he said.
Nadal also revealed that he had a conversation with Alcaraz after he sustained the injury, but refused to divulge into the specifics of what they discussed.
“I talked to him when it happened, and that’s it. What we talked about stays between us,” he added.
🗣️ “Lo que hablamos se queda entre nosotros…”
🎾 @RafaelNadal nos habla sobre la lesión en la muñeca de @carlosalcaraz y su futuro pic.twitter.com/sYT9v5OrIk
— RNE Deportes (@RNEdeportes) May 14, 2026
Alcaraz suffered the wrist injury at the Barcelona Open and has already been sidelined for close to a month. He will miss his French Open title defense later this month and is targeting the HSBC Championships for his return to tennis, with the grass-court tournament scheduled for June 8–21.
MORE: ‘I Get Overwhelmed’ – Carlos Alcaraz Makes ‘Stressful’ Confession Amid Claims of Lacking Motivation
Before his injury, Alcaraz won back-to-back titles at the Australian Open and the Qatar Open. He also reached the final in Monte-Carlo, losing to Jannik Sinner in straight sets.
