Update Alcaraz's Injury.

[jimlosaltos]

Just a note about Carlos' injury. Local media from his hometown finally gives us a smidgen of detail. Carlos Alcaraz is suffering from inflammation of the tendon sheath (tenosynovitis) in his right wrist. The issue is located in the sheath that protects the tendon in his right wrist. His wrist was immobilized in a brace/splint as of April 20-21, 2026. Continued \l/

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Per the Cleveland Clinic and other sources:

The prognosis for a professional tennis player with tenosynovitis (inflammation of the tendon sheath) in the right wrist is generally positive for a full recovery, but it requires significant, dedicated time away from competition to avoid chronic, long-term damage. With proper conservative management, most athletes recover within a few weeks to a few months. Cleveland Clinic +3

Prognosis and Recovery Timeline

• Mild to Moderate Cases: If caught early and treated with conservative methods (rest, splinting, anti-inflammatories), athletes can often return to play within 4 to 8 weeks.
• Severe or Chronic Cases: If the injury has persisted for months or involves tendon tearing, the recovery can take 3 to 6 months.
• Return to Play: While players may see symptom relief in 4-6 weeks, a full return to competitive, high-intensity tennis usually happens at the 2 to 3-month mark to prevent re-injury. National Institutes of Health (.gov) +3

Treatment Approach

1. Immobilization: A splint or brace is often used for 4–6 weeks to keep the tendon still.
2. Anti-inflammatories: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are used, along with potential corticosteroid injections for rapid, short-term relief.
3. Physical Therapy: Gradual, targeted exercises to strengthen the wrist and forearm muscles (eccentric loading) are crucial for long-term recovery.
4. Surgery: Rarely needed, but if symptoms persist after 3-6 months, surgery (e.g., in the 6th compartment/ECU tendon) can successfully allow a return to sport. Cleveland Clinic +6

Specific Considerations for Tennis Players

• Common Area: Often affects the Extensor Carpi Ulnaris (ECU) tendon on the "pinky" side of the wrist, particularly from overstretching on backhand shots.
• Technical Corrections: Coaches often recommend switching from a "Western" to an "Eastern" forehand grip to reduce wrist load.
• Risk of Recurrence: Because this is a overuse injury, the condition can return if the player resumes full training too quickly or does not correct the motion causing the strain

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[jimlosaltos]

Confirmed: Carlos Alcaraz will NOT defend his French Open title.

ATP: “After the results of the tests carried out today, we have decided that the most prudent thing to do is to be cautious and not participate in Rome or Roland Garros as we wait to evaluate the progress so we can decide when to return to court,” Alcaraz wrote on social media. “This is a difficult time for me, but I am sure we will come out of it stronger.”

[jimlosaltos]

Ranking Update: Sinner seems set to be the world number one and the top seeded player going into Wimbledon.

Alcaraz trails SInner by only 390 points but is defending 1,000 points in Rome and 2,000 at Roland Garros. So, by the time he returns Carlos will lose 3,000 points, while Sinner potentially gains over 1,000. Meanwhile, the world numbers 3 and 4 Zverev and Djokovic are approximately 8,000 and 9, 000 points behind. So, if Sinner takes the summer off, they couldn't catch him.

[jimlosaltos]

Found this graphic by Matt at TheRacket which updates what I described elsewhere some time ago as "Sincaraz and the 100 Dwarfs". Cruel perhaps .... but true.

So, while Carlos falls further behind Sinner, the world's number 3 and 4 players, Zverev and Djokovic are approximately 8,000 and 9,000 points behind. Djokovic is also out of Madrid, supposedly rehabbing something. So, if Sinner took the summer off, they couldn't catch him. In fact, it's worse than that. The "next six players" combined have fewer ranking points than Sincaraz.

Caption: @ MattRacket, ATP ranking numbers before today's matches.

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[don_budge]

The Illusion of Invinibility...the Saga of Modern Tennis Decline

The wrist injury to Carlos Alvarez is a nightmare for modern tennis. It has been a two man game for a couple of years now. Maybe "Two and a Half Men" if you want to consider Novak Djokovic in his swan song phase. Jannik Sinner is now a one man band. The rest of the cast is far behind and only a monotony of cookie cutter players. I predicted big problems for tennis with the retirement of Roger Federer. He was the one shining light for the game.

Carlos had big dreams and less importantly, big talk about being compared to the greats of the game. In his ignorance of youth, he had no idea what the word longevity means. One of the true hallmarks of greatness...along with consistency of performance at a stellar level. His injury exposes a great weakness in the concept of the game. Integrity was out the window a long, long time ago. Fortunately for the game on a economic level, the modern tennis fan is as stupid as it gets and they will barely consider the difference. Any tennis to the modern tennis fan is great tennis. They marvel at the "power" of the game. The drop shot is now a crown jewel. The oohs and awes it provokes is really comical. It speaks of variation and nuance...what is severely lacking in the game today.

Alcarez is out of the French and quite possibly Wimbledon. Even is future in the game might be questioned although that is a bit premature. Ironic that this transpired since his great drama of the coaching change. Oh well...it's all in the game.