Carlos Alcaraz won’t feature in the Italian Open and the French Open draw. The severity of his wrist injury has forced him out of both tournaments, having also skipped the Madrid Open and quit the Barcelona Open. His arch-rival, Jannik Sinner, has expressed his sadness about the update, noting that he was hoping to play against the Spaniard at the upcoming clay events.
Jannik Sinner’s First Reaction To Carlos Alcaraz’s Rome and Paris Absences Emerges
Sinner is presently competing at the Madrid Open, where he is the top seed. He opened his campaign in the second round against Benjamin Bonzi, who pushed the World No. 1 to three sets on Friday, April 24.
After a tough 6-7(6), 6-1, 6-4 win, he was reportedly relayed the news of his rival’s extended injury layoff by former player Tomás Carbonell. Sinner was shocked to learn the update and called it “really sad.” He also explained why Alcaraz’s clay-court absence was especially devastating for him, considering the two-time French Open champion is the man to beat on the surface.
“It’s tough, very tough. With these kinds of injuries, you have to take it really slowly. It’s sad news. As a competitor, I always want to play against the best, and he’s the best player in the world on this surface.”
Sinner is hoping that the Spaniard heals before Wimbledon and makes his return on grass.
“I wish him a speedy recovery and that he’s ready for Wimbledon,” he said. “It’s really sad; I wasn’t expecting it. It’s fresh news for me.”
With Alcaraz sidelined, Jannik Sinner is likely to further extend his ranking-points lead over his rival in the coming weeks. As the reigning champion in Rome and Paris, the Spaniard had collected 1000 and 2000 points, respectively.
Sinner, meanwhile, accumulated 1950 points at those tournaments as the finalist. Moreover, he didn’t compete at the Madrid Open last year and is only adding to his tally during his ongoing run. Having won the second-round match, he has collected 30 points.
MORE: Devastation for Carlos Alcaraz As He Sends a Message About Italian Open, French Open Withdrawals
The World No. 1 is on an 18-match winning streak at the moment, which dates back to his first match at Indian Wells in the first week of March. He won the tournament for the first time and followed it with a second title at the Miami Open. Sinner successfully transitioned to clay courts soon after, winning his first big title on the surface by beating Alcaraz in the final of the Monte-Carlo Masters.
