HOW JANNIK SINNER IS USING THE MADRID OPEN TO SOLIDIFY HIS WORLD NO. 1 STATUS
Carlos Alcaraz faces a race to be fit for Roland Garros. Discover Sinner’s path to a fifth Masters title at the Madrid Open tournament.
Jannik Sinner is hopeful that Carlos Alcaraz's time away from the tour won’t drag on for too long.
Alcaraz is racing against the clock to be ready for the French Open, where the two had a thrilling five-set final last year after injuring his wrist at the Barcelona Open last week.
This injury has kept him out of the Madrid Open again this year, the biggest tournament in his home country, marking the second consecutive absence. Still, he showed up at the Caja Magica on Tuesday to sign autographs.
Sinner ran into Alcaraz at the Laureus World Sports Awards in Madrid on Monday, where Alcaraz was named World Sportsman of the Year. He said, “We talked briefly. Didn’t really touch much on this; it’s a very personal matter. But it was clear he had a cast. Hopefully, that helps him get back out there quickly.”
He added, “It’s a real shame that he and Novak Djokovic aren’t here; two of the biggest stars in tennis are missing from this tournament.”
When asked about his chances of competing in Paris, Alcaraz mentioned, “I have a long career ahead. Pushing to play in Roland Garros right now could seriously set me back down the line.”
The Madrid Open itself is feeling the impact of these withdrawals hard. Along with Alcaraz, Djokovic continues to recover from a shoulder injury, and British players Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu have also pulled out.
Sinner commented, “It’s definitely tough for the tournament. Alcaraz missed it last year, too, so that makes two years in a row without him here, and with Novak also absent, it’s a hard pill to swallow.”
Though Sinner would likely welcome another showdown with Alcaraz after beating him in the Monte-Carlo Masters final earlier this month, the Spaniard’s absence boosts Sinner’s chances to extend his winning streak and widen his lead as world number one.
Interestingly, Sinner has no points to defend because he also missed Madrid last year amid a doping ban, and he’s gunning for a fifth straight Masters 1000 title.
After Monte Carlo, Sinner hinted he might skip Madrid too, but now he says, “I feel quite good. Mentally, I’m focused on Roland Garros. The goal is to be in the best shape possible for that.”
Winning Monte Carlo marked Sinner’s first clay court Masters title, but Madrid remains a tougher challenge. The altitude there creates a unique playing environment, and so far, he hasn’t advanced beyond the quarter-finals in this city.
He reflected, “Different clay courts help me grow as a player, and Madrid’s definitely one of the more demanding ones. I’ve never done very well here, but let’s see how it goes this time. I’m glad to be back.”
WHY DID 22 PLAYERS SUDDENLY WITHDRAW FROM THE 2026 ITALIAN OPEN MID-TOURNAMENT?
Discover the full list of injured stars, including Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu, forced out of the 2026 Italian Open.
At the 2026 Italian Open, the number of players who have withdrawn or retired during matches has climbed to 22, spanning both the ATP and WTA competitions.
By midweek, 17 players had already exited the combined ATP/WTA 1000 event in Rome. Since then, an additional three men and two women have followed suit.
Before the draws were even announced on Monday, prominent names like Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, Jack Draper, and Marketa Vondrousova had pulled out. On the opening day of the women’s tournament, Tuesday, Marta Kostyuk and Emma Raducanu also withdrew.
Amanda Anisimova, ranked sixth in the WTA, stepped back before her first match on Thursday due to a left wrist injury. Meanwhile, Victoria Mboko, who is ninth in the world, withdrew before playing on Friday because of a gastrointestinal illness.
Valentin Vacherot, the 16th-ranked player on the ATP tour, pulled out shortly before his scheduled second-round match against Marin Cilic on Friday, citing a foot injury.
Tomas Machac, holding the 41st spot in the men's rankings, also withdrew ahead of his second-round encounter with Daniil Medvedev after an impactful win against Stefanos Tsitsipas in round one.
Arthur Fils, ranked 17th, retired during his opening match against Andrea Pellegrino on Saturday, trailing 0-4, due to hip pain.
Here’s a rundown of the withdrawals on the ATP side: Carlos Alcaraz (No. 2) was replaced by Sebastian Ofner; Taylor Fritz (No. 7) by Zachary Svajda; Valentin Vacherot (No. 16) by Martin Landaluce; Arthur Rinderknech (No. 24) by Aleksandar Kovacevic; Holger Rune (No. 40) by Damir Dzumhur; Gabriel Diallo (No. 46) by Alexander Blockx; Jack Draper (No. 50) by Hamad Medjedovic; Raphael Collignon (No. 68) by Alexandre Muller; Reilly Opelka (No. 74) by Aleksandar Vukic; Arthur Cazaux (No. 73) by Mattia Bellucci; Kamil Majchrzak (No. 76) by Roberto Bautista Agut; and Eliot Spizzirri (No. 92) by James Duckworth.
On the WTA side, Amanda Anisimova (No. 6) was replaced by Elena Gabriela Ruse from Romania; Victoria Mboko (No. 9) by Nikola Bartunkova; Marta Kostyuk (No. 15) by Ajla Tomljanovic; Emma Raducanu (No. 30) by Lilli Tagger; Marketa Vondrousova (No. 44) by Solana Sierra; Sonay Kartal (No. 56) by Zeynep Sonmez; Varvara Gracheva (No. 61) by Eva Lys; and Veronika Kudermetova (No. 70) by Petra Marcinko.
THE "REST OVER REPS" PLAN: WHY JANNIK SINNER IS SNUBBING HALLE FOR WIMBLEDON
After 23 consecutive wins, World No. 1 Jannik Sinner adjusts his schedule to target a Career Grand Slam and Wimbledon glory.
Jannik Sinner has already logged a heavy schedule this year, with deep runs in recent Masters 1000 tournaments keeping him on court against top-tier competition regularly. Given this demanding stretch, he’s taken a fresh look at his calendar and decided to skip the Halle Open, carving out a three-week break between Roland Garros and his Wimbledon title defence.
The 2024 Wimbledon champion won’t be heading to Germany for the grass-court event. That’s notable since Sinner claimed that Wimbledon crown in impressive fashion, overcoming two-time winner Carlos Alcaraz to secure his first major title away from hardcourts. That victory was his latest Grand Slam, following Alcaraz’s wins at the previous two majors.
After Roland Garros, where he seeks to complete the career Grand Slam, Sinner plans to recharge rather than pile on more tournaments before Wimbledon. Without Alcaraz in sight, he’s considered a favourite to maintain his remarkable run. His recent haul includes titles at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, and, most recently, Madrid. Now, he’s setting his sights on Rome, his home turf, where he’s never clinched a win but is eager to continue an ambitious streak of Masters 1000 victories, aiming for a sixth in a row.
Post-Rome, he’ll take a week off before the French Open begins. In total, Sinner has played 23 matches over the last two months without tasting defeat. If he wants to lift the Rome trophy, he’ll need to notch six more wins, then potentially battle through seven more rounds in Paris. This demanding schedule partly explains his choice to forgo Halle.
As for the 2026 Halle Open, fans might be disappointed not to see the world number one, but the field remains strong. Heading the draw is Alexander Zverev, a local favourite who has yet to claim a grass-court title or even one on home soil. With Sinner out, this could be a prime opportunity for Zverev to break through.
The American players are also well represented. The U.S. hasn’t seen a finalist here since Mardy Fish in 2004, but Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton might be poised to change that, especially Fritz, who has already shown grass prowess with titles in Stuttgart and Eastbourne last year.
Defending champion Alexander Bublik, who ousted Sinner on his way to victory and took down Daniil Medvedev in the final, will be back aiming to repeat. Alongside him, names like Andrey Rublev, Flavio Cobolli, and Frances Tiafoe are also set to compete. The tournament runs from June 15 to 21, promising plenty of exciting tennis.
