Carlos Alcaraz has pulled out of this summer's Wimbledon Championships and the Queen's Club tournament as he continues his rehabilitation from a persistent wrist injury.
The Spanish star, who has lifted the SW19 trophy twice, made the announcement via social media on Tuesday.
The 23-year-old had been battling the problem since competing at the Barcelona Open earlier this year.
His withdrawal means the grass-court season will proceed without one of its most decorated recent champions, with Alcaraz unable to mount a defence of his position among the sport's elite at the All England Club.
Carlos Alcaraz will not get the chance to win back his Wimbledon title
|GETTY
Alcaraz has already been forced to skip the French Open, which gets underway later this month, due to the same wrist complaint.
The Spaniard had originally hoped to return to competitive action on grass at Queen's before heading to Wimbledon shortly after.
Mi recuperación va por buen camino y me siento mucho mejor, pero desgraciadamente aún no estoy listo para poder jugar y por eso tengo que renunciar a la gira de hierba en Queen’s y Wimbledon. Son dos torneos realmente especiales para mí y los echaré mucho de menos. Seguimos… pic.twitter.com/6IL0APkv5G
— Carlos Alcaraz (@carlosalcaraz) May 19, 2026
However, his rehabilitation has not progressed at the pace medical staff had anticipated, forcing him to abandon those plans entirely.
The setback denies Alcaraz the chance to claim a third Wimbledon crown in just four years, having established himself as the dominant force on the famous grass courts in recent seasons.
Writing on Instagram, Alcaraz expressed cautious optimism about his condition whilst acknowledging he remains unfit for tournament play.
Carlos Alcaraz has already won two Wimbledon titles but will not get the chance to add to his tally this year
| PA"My recovery is going well and I'm feeling much better, but unfortunately I'm still not ready to compete, which is why I have to withdraw from the grass-court swing at Queen's and Wimbledon," he stated.
The Spaniard described both events as "truly special tournaments" that he would miss greatly, pledging to continue working towards a return to the tour.
With Alcaraz sidelined, Jannik Sinner emerges as the clear favourite to retain the Wimbledon title he captured last year.