With Carlos Alcaraz withdrawing from the 2026 French Open due to a wrist injury, the real favorites to win have already faded. Now, one day before the tournament begins, one of the few remaining names we know of has also been announced.
Arthur Fils, who had previously been tied for fourth place behind Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic, announced on Saturday that he would withdraw from the French Open due to an unspecified lower back injury. He explained through the ATP Tour that he experienced hip pain while playing in Rome two weeks ago.
“Then I had some tests and everything looked pretty good, but I was still in a lot of pain. So I couldn’t practice the last two weeks,” Fiss said. “Actually, today’s practice was my first point since my two-week stay in Rome.
“Well, I’m not 100 percent fit for the tournament and I’m not going to take any risks like I did last year. I don’t want to do anything stupid.”
The 17th-seeded Phils were scheduled to face retiring great Stan Wawrinka in Monday’s first round. The 2015 French Open champion will face lucky loser Jesper de Jong. Had Fils advanced, he would have faced Zverev in the quarter-finals if the remainder of the draw had been chalked up.
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This development is disappointing for multiple reasons. Fils was playing the best tennis of her career since returning from a hip injury sustained at Roland Garros last year. The issue ultimately led to him being sidelined for six months, but he reportedly insisted on Saturday that this new injury was something else.
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Fils’ performances since his return included winning the title with Barcelona and reaching the semi-finals in Madrid and Miami. Still just 21 years old, his combination of spin, mobility and power has established him as one of the few players capable of challenging the current duopoly of Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, so much so that Yahoo Sports’ Dan Wolken chose him to face Sinner in the final.
The Phils also carried the expectations of the host country. No French player has won Roland Garros or a Grand Slam since Yannick Noah won the title in 1983. There was excitement that he might end the drought, as evidenced by the crowd that gathered for the Phils’ final practice session.
On Friday, Fils was listed at +2000 odds to win the tournament. According to Sports Odds History, the last time a French player had such odds in the men’s singles at Roland Garros was Richard Gasquet’s +1500 in 2005. That means the Phils were France’s best chance to win the title in 20 years.
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Of course, the Phils have also agreed not to participate in the tournament.
A generation of elite tennis players are getting injured right now.
Even before Fils was dropped, it had been confirmed that several other exciting players would not be competing at Roland Garros, most notably Alcaraz. The two-time Roland Garros champion has already said he will also miss Wimbledon.
The following names also appear:
Jack Draper returns from arm injury but continues to have health issues with knee injury
At least Lorenzo Musetti, who reached the semi-finals of this year’s French Open, is out with a thigh injury.
Holger Ruhn ruptured his Achilles tendon last October and was unable to return in time for this tournament.
All three of these players have ranked in the ATP top five at some point. Phils is currently fifth in points in the Race to Turin standings. Alcaraz is Alcaraz. All members of that group are between 21 and 24 years old.
This is a brutal amount of young talent to lose. This is also why Sinner is a bigger favorite to win his first Roland Garros than Rafael Nadal, who went on to win 14 titles in Paris.
