“Alcaraz is a former world number one among 11 confirmed withdrawals for Wimbledon 2026.”

The competitive landscape of Wimbledon 2026 has taken a significant hit even before the first serve: eleven top players have already withdrawn from the tournament, including Carlos Alcaraz, the current world number two, and former top-10 player Veronika Kudermetova. This high number of withdrawals, just days before the start of the world’s most prestigious grass court tournament, casts a shadow over the 139th edition of the British Grand Slam.

The tournament is set to begin on Monday, June 29, at the legendary All England Club, with the men’s final scheduled for Sunday, July 12. However, the list of absentees continues to grow: in addition to Alcaraz, confirmed withdrawals include names such as Lorenzo Musetti (ranked 15th in the ATP), Valentin Vacherot (20th), Tomas Machac (42nd), Sebastian Korda (46th), and Arthur Cazaux (81st). In the women’s sector, notable withdrawals include Victoria Mboko (ranked 9th in the WTA), Hailey Baptiste (30th), Varvara Gracheva (71st), Sonay Kartal (72nd), and Veronika Kudermetova (86th).

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The absence of Alcaraz, one of the top favorites for victory, is due to a persistent injury to his right wrist suffered in April during the Barcelona Open. The Spaniard, who has already won seven Grand Slam titles, revealed last month: “My recovery is going well and I feel much better, but unfortunately, I am still not ready to compete. Therefore, I am forced to withdraw from the grass season at Queen’s and Wimbledon.” This decision takes away one of Wimbledon’s main stars and complicates matters for his rivals.

Lorenzo Musetti, another of the great promises in world tennis, was one of the names to announce his withdrawal this week due to quadriceps issues. The Italian explained on social media: “Unfortunately, I have not yet been able to start a full athletic training program, and after careful evaluation, we have come to the difficult conclusion that I will not be able to participate in Wimbledon this year. It is not an easy decision, but it is the most sensible one. My priority is to return to the court at 100%. Thank you for the ongoing support – see you soon.” Meanwhile, Tomas Machac revealed that the injury to his left foot continues to prevent his return: “Unfortunately, the rupture in my left foot is still not healed enough, and I have to withdraw from Wimbledon. It is a disappointing moment, but I am doing everything to return for the American tour this summer.”

In the women’s sector, the drama is no less. Victoria Mboko, a Canadian hope at just 19 years old, was forced to withdraw after suffering an injury to the medial collateral ligament of her left knee in a dramatic fall at the Queen’s Club Championships. “Unfortunately, my fall on Wednesday caused an MCL injury to my left knee, which means I will miss the rest of the grass season,” the young player shared on Instagram. “This includes Wimbledon, a tournament I was so looking forward to playing this year. I am receiving the best medical care and focused on a return as soon as possible.” Veronika Kudermetova, former world number 9, remains out of competition in 2026 following surgery at the end of last year.

These withdrawals force the organization to resort to immediate substitutes. Jan Choinski steps in for Alcaraz, Matteo Berrettini replaces Musetti, Sho Shimabukuro takes Vacherot’s spot, Jesper de Jong comes in for Machac, while Alexandre Muller and Alex Molcan fill the places of Korda and Cazaux, respectively. In the women’s draw, Darja Vidmanova, Hanne Vandewinkel, Sinja Kraus, Paula Badosa, and Francesca Jones are the new faces benefiting from these absences.

The impact of these withdrawals is enormous, not only due to the absence of prominent names but also because it opens up opportunities for less-favored players to surprise on one of the most prestigious stages in global sports. For the favorites still in the competition, the path to the decisive rounds may become less thorny, but the uncertainty increases: will we see new faces shining at Wimbledon? Or could the pressure of a less predictable draw lead to even more surprises?

With the tournament about to begin, all eyes are now on who will take advantage of the absence of the big names. The organization will have to manage one of the most unpredictable draws in recent years, while fans await to see who will write their name in the sacred history of grass court tennis. One thing is certain: Wimbledon 2026 promises drama, excitement, and, above all, the eternal capacity to surprise the world of sports.

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