May brought major shifts in the tennis season, from Jannik Sinner's continued dominance in Rome to a chaotic opening week at Roland Garros. It also delivered the biggest Wimbledon news of the year so far, with Carlos Alcaraz confirming that he will miss the entire grass-court season, including The Championships.
Alcaraz to miss Wimbledon
The most significant development of the month came away from the court. Carlos Alcaraz announced that he will miss the rest of the season's grass-court swing, including Wimbledon, as he continues to recover from the wrist injury he suffered in April.
That changes the picture for The Championships immediately. Alcaraz was expected to be one of the central names in the men's draw, and his absence opens up the field while also removing one of the biggest drivers of Centre Court demand.
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Sinner completes the set in Rome
With Alcaraz out, the path looked clearer for Jannik Sinner to win his home Masters event in Rome and complete the set of Masters titles. His main rival, Alex Zverev, was beaten in the fourth round by Luciano Darderi, whose run ended in the semi-finals against Casper Ruud.
Sinner came through his own semi-final in three sets against Daniil Medvedev, then beat Ruud in the final to take the title. The win gave him another major clay-court statement and reinforced his position as the man to beat heading into the summer.
From a Wimbledon perspective, that matters. Even though Rome is a clay event, Sinner's form and confidence now make him the obvious focal point on the men's side, especially with Alcaraz absent. If he carries that level into the grass season, he will arrive at SW19 as the leading contender for the title.
Svitolina shines in Rome
On the women's side, Aryna Sabalenka's defeat to Sorana Cirstea in the third round opened up the draw, and Elina Svitolina took full advantage. She beat Elena Rybakina, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff on her way to the title, producing one of the standout runs of the season so far.
That performance will have caught attention beyond clay. Svitolina has long had the all-court game to be dangerous on grass, and her run in Rome suggests she could become one of the more interesting names to watch once the tour turns towards Wimbledon.
Shock exits in Paris
The first week of Roland Garros produced one of the most surprising sets of results in recent memory.
Sinner arrived in Paris on a huge winning streak and looked set to make a serious run at the title and complete the Career Grand Slam. Instead, he suffered a stunning second-round defeat to Juan Manuel Cerundolo, despite leading by two sets and 5-1, after struggling physically in the Paris heat.
Even so, his Wimbledon standing may not have suffered much. In the absence of Alcaraz, he is still likely to be viewed as the leading men's contender when the grass season begins.
Novak Djokovic also exited early, losing in five sets to Joao Fonseca in the third round. Even at this stage of his career, Djokovic remains one of the most significant names in the Wimbledon field, and many will expect him to arrive at The Championships as a serious threat once again.
The women's draw opens up too
The shocks were not limited to the men's side. Elena Rybakina lost in the second round to Yuliia Starodubtseva, while defending champion Coco Gauff fell in the third round to Anastasia Potapova.
Iga Swiatek was then beaten in the fourth round by Madrid champion Marta Kostyuk, ensuring that Roland Garros would also crown a new women's champion.
For Wimbledon, those exits may matter in different ways. Rybakina and Gauff will hope that an earlier finish to the clay season allows them to reset and prepare properly for grass. Swiatek, meanwhile, will need to find form quickly if she is to defend her Wimbledon title in July.
What May means for Wimbledon
By the end of May, the Wimbledon picture looks very different from the one many expected at the start of the clay swing.
Alcaraz's withdrawal is the biggest change of all. Sinner now looks set to arrive as the leading men's favourite, with Djokovic again looming as a major threat if he can build rhythm on grass. On the women's side, Sabalenka, Rybakina, Gauff and Swiatek all remain central to the story, but the clay season has created fresh uncertainty around form and momentum.
For Wimbledon fans and buyers, this is the point where the likely shape of the Championships starts to become clearer. Injuries, early exits and title runs in May all help influence who is most likely to headline the biggest matches on Centre Court and No.1 Court.
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