The 2026 Wimbledon Championships began Monday at the All England Club with 16 notable players absent from the draw.
Two-time champion Carlos Alcaraz withdrew to continue rehabilitation on his right wrist injury, initially sustained during the Barcelona Open in April.
The world No. 2 had already missed the French Open and the clay court season.
“My recovery is going well and I’m feeling much better, but unfortunately I’m still not ready to compete,” Alcaraz posted on social media.
He described the injury as “a more serious injury than any of us expected” during his withdrawal from Barcelona.
Alcaraz emphasized the need to rest: “I have to listen to my body and avoid it affecting me in the future.”
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, the defending men’s champion, acknowledged Alcaraz’s importance to tennis.
“I think what's most important is to say that, first of all, tennis needs Carlos,” Sinner said in May.
“Tennis is a much better sport when he's around.”
Sinner added that competing alongside Alcaraz changes his view of the draw.
“For me, personally, it's nice when he's around.
It makes me look also in the draw and seeing the matches in a different way, even though if I would face Carlos it would always be in the final,” he said.
Vondrousova Serves Doping Ban
In the women’s division, 2023 champion Marketa Vondrousova is absent while serving a four-year suspension from the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) for refusing an out-of-competition doping test.
Vondrousova explained that the incident occurred after months of physical and mental stress.
“The recent doping control incident happened because I reached a breaking point after months of physical and mental stress,” she said.
She cited exhaustion, sleep issues, and safety concerns from hateful messages and threats.
“When someone rang my door late at night without properly identifying themselves or following protocol – I reacted as a person who felt scared,” Vondrousova added.
She referenced past security incidents involving fellow players, saying, “After what happened to Petra [Kvitova], we don't take strangers at our door lightly.”
ITIA Chief Executive Karen Moorhouse acknowledged the testing burden but defended its necessity.
“We understand that the testing process is uncomfortable… but it is essential to protect fair competition,” Moorhouse said.
She affirmed that testers follow strict protocols and carry identification at all times.
Other injury-related withdrawals include Emma Raducanu, Lorenzo Musetti, Holger Rune, Sebastian Korda, and Cristina Bucsa.
Replacement players include Jan Choinski (replacing Alcaraz), Matteo Berrettini (replacing Musetti), and Nadia Podoroska (replacing Vondrousova).
The tournament runs until July 12, 2026, with singles finals at the All England Club.
