Grass-Court Injury Report: Triumphant Returns and Major Absences Reshape the Road to Wimbledon

The transition from the grueling clay of Paris to the slick, pristine lawns of the grass-court season always exacts a unique physical toll on the professional tennis circuit. As the sport accelerates toward Wimbledon, the medical room has become just as pivotal as the practice courts. For every heartbreaking withdrawal that reshapes the championship draws, there is a corresponding story of profound physical resilience. This June, the injury landscape is defined by this striking duality. While the tour mourns the temporary loss of marquee names to stubborn joint issues and sudden slips, it is simultaneously celebrating some of the most improbable and uplifting comebacks in recent memory. The human body’s capacity to heal—and the sheer willpower required to endure months of grueling rehabilitation—has taken center stage, proving that the road back to the pinnacle of the sport is often more compelling than the trophies themselves.[1][2]

No story embodies this spirit of perseverance quite like that of American rising star Robin Montgomery. Just weeks before the grass-court swing began, Montgomery was still fighting to regain her footing after a devastating ten-month injury layoff that began last summer. Sidelined from the sport she loves, her ranking plummeted, forcing her to re-enter the tour through the grueling qualifying rounds. Yet, at the Libema Open in 's-Hertogenbosch, the 21-year-old orchestrated a spectacular return to form. Navigating the unpredictable bounces of the Dutch grass, Montgomery strung together a series of brilliant performances, culminating in her maiden WTA title after Barbora Krejcikova was forced to retire in the final due to illness.[1]

Montgomery’s triumph in the Netherlands is a statistical marvel that underscores the sheer difficulty of returning from an extended medical absence. Starting the week ranked No. 484 in the world, she became the lowest-ranked player to capture a WTA singles title since Elina Svitolina won Strasbourg in 2023 shortly after returning from maternity leave. Her path to the trophy was anything but easy; she surrendered the first set of her opening-round match against Daria Kasatkina before rattling off eight consecutive games to seize control of her destiny. For a player who spent nearly a year restricted to gym work and physical therapy, lifting the trophy in 's-Hertogenbosch was a profound validation of her patience and unyielding belief in her own body.[1]

While Montgomery’s rapid ascent from a ten-month absence is inspiring, former World No. 1 Karolina Pliskova’s journey back to the court borders on the miraculous. Last year, the Czech veteran suffered a catastrophic injury that threatened to end her illustrious career entirely. During a match, all the ligaments and both tendons in Pliskova’s left ankle completely ruptured. As she bluntly recalled, "Only the bones were holding it together." The severity of the structural damage required an immediate, invasive surgery, followed by a second procedure six months later to treat a severe infection. For weeks, Pliskova was confined to a medical boot, unable to even touch her foot to the ground, let alone swing a racket.[2]

The rehabilitation process forced one of the most elite athletes on the planet to literally relearn how to walk. She had to rebuild the atrophied muscles in her leg from scratch, slowly regaining the mobility required to support her entire body weight on a reconstructed joint. Yet, against all medical odds, the 34-year-old has compiled a stunning 16-7 record this season. Her recent quarterfinal runs in Linz, Madrid, and now at the Queen’s Club Championships have guaranteed her return to the Top 100. Pliskova never entertained the thought of retirement during her darkest days in the hospital, and her astonishing resurgence on the grass courts serves as a masterclass in athletic endurance and psychological fortitude.[2]

However, the physical demands of the tour spare no one, and the uplifting comebacks of Montgomery and Pliskova stand in stark contrast to the devastating news surrounding Carlos Alcaraz. The two-time Grand Slam champion and defending Wimbledon titleholder has officially withdrawn from the upcoming Championships at the All England Club. The 23-year-old Spanish phenom has been sidelined since the Barcelona Open in mid-April, battling a stubborn right wrist injury that has completely derailed the prime months of his 2026 campaign. His absence from the London grass marks the first time since the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season that Alcaraz will miss two consecutive major tournaments, having already sat out Roland Garros.[3]

The specific diagnosis for Alcaraz is tenosynovitis—a painful inflammation of the fluid-filled sheath that surrounds the tendons in the wrist. It is a notoriously tricky ailment for tennis players, as the wrist bears the brunt of the immense torque generated during modern groundstrokes. Having passed the 60-day mark since he last struck a ball in a competitive match, Alcaraz and his medical team have opted for extreme caution. Rather than risking permanent structural damage by rushing a return for Wimbledon, the world No. 2 is prioritizing his long-term health. His rehabilitation is now entirely focused on ensuring he is fully recovered in time to defend his title at the US Open during the North American hard-court swing in August.[4][5]

Alcaraz’s chronic wrist issue highlights the repetitive strain of the sport, but the grass-court season also introduces acute, environmental hazards. The slick, low-bouncing surface at venues like the Queen’s Club can be treacherous, as 19-year-old Canadian Victoria Mboko tragically discovered. During her second-round singles match against Pliskova—who intimately understands the horror of a sudden lower-body injury—Mboko slipped awkwardly behind the baseline while attempting to change directions. The stumble forced her legs into an unnatural split, resulting in a severe left knee injury that left the teenager in tears and forced an immediate medical retirement.[6]

Mboko’s heartbreaking slip not only ended her own promising grass-court campaign and ruled her out of Wimbledon, but it also sent shockwaves through the doubles draw. The Canadian teenager had been partnering with 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams, who was making a highly anticipated, albeit brief, return to competitive tennis. The duo had already secured a thrilling first-round victory, but Mboko’s ruptured knee ligaments forced them to withdraw ahead of their quarterfinal match. The sudden end to their run serves as a stark reminder of how quickly fortunes can change on the slick European lawns, where a single misstep can alter the trajectory of an entire season.[6]

The casualty list ahead of Wimbledon continues to grow, with several other top contenders racing against the clock to heal. Italian standout Jasmine Paolini, who reached the final of the French Open just weeks ago, was forced to abruptly withdraw from the Berlin Tennis Open due to a nagging foot injury. Medical staff are currently evaluating the extent of the damage, but her participation at the All England Club remains in serious doubt. For a player who was enjoying the best form of her career, the timing of the foot issue is a bitter pill to swallow, underscoring the relentless, year-round physical toll of the WTA and ATP circuits.[7]

In response to the mounting injuries across the tour, some younger players are adopting a highly cautious approach to their tournament scheduling. Eighteen-year-old American Iva Jovic, who reached the semifinals at Queen’s Club in a spectacular grass-court debut, opted to withdraw from the subsequent WTA 250 event in Nottingham. During her match against Emma Raducanu, Jovic required a medical timeout to heavily tape her left ankle. Rather than pushing through the discomfort and risking a severe sprain like Mboko’s or Pliskova’s, Jovic and her team chose rest. By prioritizing immediate recovery over ranking points in Nottingham, she hopes to arrive at Wimbledon at full fitness.[8]

As the tennis world converges on London, the overarching narrative is one of profound physical consequence. The absences of Alcaraz and Mboko will undoubtedly leave a void in the Wimbledon draws, depriving fans of their explosive athleticism. Yet, the sport’s enduring appeal lies in its capacity for renewal. When Robin Montgomery steps onto the court as a newly minted champion, and when Karolina Pliskova plants her surgically repaired ankle to deliver a booming serve, they will carry the torch for every athlete currently confined to the rehabilitation room. Their triumphant returns prove that while injuries can pause a career, they cannot extinguish the champion’s resolve.[1][2][3]