Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from the Barcelona Open.
Alcaraz, who decided against practising on Wednesday, has made the decision after feeling discomfort in his wrist during his first-round match against Otto Virtanen.
Leading 5-4 in the first set of yesterday’s match, Alcaraz called the physio onto court, who subsequently taped the 22-year-old’s right wrist.
Carlos Alcaraz has WITHDRAWN from the Barcelona Open due to injury!
When do you think he will return?
The 22-year-old confirmed his withdrawal during a press conference on Wednesday.
Carlos Alcaraz confirms his Barcelona Open withdrawal
“It’s a more serious injury than we expected when we saw the results of this morning’s tests,” Alcaraz told reporters in the Spanish city, as per Jose Moron of Punto de Break.
“I’m stepping back to avoid taking any risks.
“With great sadness, I’m leaving to start recovery as soon as possible so I can be ready for the upcoming tournaments as soon as possible.”
News of Alcaraz’s withdrawal will come as a great shame to his fans, who were hoping to witness the Spaniard win a third Barcelona Open title in five years.
Lorenzo Musetti, who has not won a ATP title since 2022, is now the highest seed remaining in the Barcelona Open draw.
Tomas Machac, who Alcaraz had been due to play in the second round, will advance to the Barcelona Open quarter-finals.
As for Alcaraz, his next event is scheduled to be the Madrid Open, which begins on April 21.
Whether the Spanish superstar will recover in time for the Masters 1000 event remains to be seen.
Do you believe Carlos Alcaraz is already the greatest tennis player of all time?
How will Carlos Alcaraz’s ranking be affected?
At the 2025 Barcelona Open, Alcaraz was defeated in the final by Danish star Holger Rune.
Consequently, Alcaraz is now set to lose 280 ATP ranking points.
This will leave him on 12,960 points – leaving him 390 ranking points off world number one Jannik Sinner.
Alcaraz had the opportunity to retake the world number one spot by winning the Barcelona Open. However, he will now have to wait until his next event for the opportunity to do so.
Carlos Alcaraz’s projected clay-court schedule
- Madrid Open: April 21 to May 3
- Italian Open: May 15 to 17
- Roland Garros: May 18 to June 7
Both Alcaraz and Sinner’s participation in the Madrid Open are now in jeopardy. Alcaraz’s injury may force him to forego the event, while Sinner is yet to confirm his participation after winning the Monte Carlo Masters.
