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Jannik Sinner is backing Carlos Alcaraz to "come back stronger than before" after the two-time defending French Open champion was forced to pull out of the clay-court Grand Slam tournament due to a wrist injury. Sinner suffered a heartbreaking defeat to Alcaraz in last year's Roland Garros final, blowing three championship points and going on to lose a five-set thriller, but believes that tennis "needs" Alcaraz and would rather have his biggest rival in the draws.

Alcaraz announced his withdrawal on Friday, exactly one month before the French Open gets underway. The Spanish star picked up a wrist injury in Barcelona last week and pulled out of the tournament. He has since skipped the Madrid Open and will now miss the rest of the clay season.

Sinner was busy beating Benjamin Bonzi in his opening match in Madrid when Alcaraz confirmed he would miss Roland Garros. The top seed came back to win 6-7(6) 6-1 6-4. And he later swatted away questions about whether Alcaraz's withdrawals would boost his chances of winning in Rome and Paris.

"No, this I don't know. I think this is not what we should talk about. I think what's most important is to say that, first of all, tennis needs Carlos. Tennis is a much better sport when he's around," the world No. 1 said.

"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. With the No. 1 and No. 2 seed, that's the case."

While Sinner doesn't want to see Alcaraz forced to miss a Grand Slam tournament, he's glad that the 22-year-old has made an early decision to let his wrist heal, rather than playing through an injury or trying to come back too soon.

He continued: "But, yeah, being young, going through difficult moments, it can happen. I do believe he's going to come back stronger than before. But injuries are always tough, especially a wrist. There's certain areas of our body what are very sensitive. The wrist, we saw with also other players in the past, that they can complicate our life.

"So I hope he's going to come back and he will not have any further injuries. But I also believe that it's good that he and his team takes the time, you know. If you come back too early, then maybe you have a bigger problem afterwards."

Now, the four-time Grand Slam champion is hoping to see Alcaraz back at Wimbledon, where Sinner beat him in last year's final. "We all want that he's competitive for when he's going to come back. In this case now the next goal I guess for him, and I hope so, it's Wimbledon. So I hope he's going to be back there," he added.

"And then, whoever is in the draw, it's always a long way in any case, but this is all secondary now. I sent him, yeah, a wish for a speedy recovery, and though it's painful and very sad for all tennis."

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