Carlos Alcaraz suffered a wrist injury at the Barcelona Open.
One day after winning his first-round match, Alcaraz withdrew from the Barcelona Open.
Carlos Alcaraz has WITHDRAWN from the Barcelona Open due to injury!
When do you think he will return?
The world number two now faces a race against time to be fit for his other home tournament, the Madrid Open.
Looking ahead to the 2027 season, it’s clear what changes Alcaraz should make to his schedule.
Carlos Alcaraz should skip Monte Carlo or Barcelona in 2027
Ever since he transitioned to the ATP Tour, Alcaraz has planned to play five clay-court events: The Monte Carlo Masters, the Barcelona Open, the Madrid Open, the Italian Open, and the French Open.
But he has yet to play all five in a season, withdrawing from at least one each year.
Carlos Alcaraz’s clay-court history
| Year | Monte Carlo Masters | Barcelona Open | Madrid Open | Italian Open | French Open |
| 2026 | F | 2R (Withdrew due to injury) | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 2025 | W | F (Picked up injury) | Skipped (injured) | W | W |
| 2024 | Skipped (injured) | Skipped (injured) | QF | Skipped (injured) | W |
| 2023 | Skipped (injured) | W | W | 2R | SF |
| 2022 | 2R | W | W | Skipped (injured) | QF |
Unfortunately, there is also a high probability that Alcaraz will now withdraw from the Madrid Open due to injury.
These injury withdrawals are worrying and they aren’t helping Alcaraz in the slightest.
So what should he change?
Well, there are two tournaments that he should consider skipping next year: The Monte Carlo Masters and the Barcelona Open.
Not both necessarily, but certainly at least one.
The Monte Carlo Masters is the sole non-mandatory Masters 1000 event and the Barcelona Open offers fewer points than the four other tournaments.
Clay-court tournaments that Carlos Alcaraz plays
- Monte Carlo Masters – 1,000 points
- Barcelona Open – 500 points
- Madrid Open – 1,000 points
- Italian Open – 1,000 points
- French Open – 2,000 points
Alcaraz should either play Monte Carlo, (skip Barcelona), Madrid, Rome, and Roland Garros, or (skip Monte Carlo) play Monte Carlo, Madrid, Rome, and Roland Garros.
That way, he would play four events and increase his chances of being fully fit for one of his home tournaments.
What’s next for Carlos Alcaraz in 2026?
Pulling out of Barcelona, Alcaraz lost his chance to re-take the world number-one ranking from Jannik Sinner, who chose not to play this week.
Live ATP Rankings
| Rank | Player | Country | Points |
| 1 | Jannik Sinner | Italy | 13,350 |
| 2 | Carlos Alcaraz | Spain | 12,960 |
| 3 | Alexander Zverev | Germany | 5,105 |
| 4 | Novak Djokovic | Serbia | 4,710 |
| 5 | Felix Auger-Aliassime | Canada | 4,100 |
If they both choose to play/are fit to play the Madrid Open, they will do so with the number-one ranking on the line.
That is a big ‘if’, though.
Sinner has yet to confirm his appearance, and having won three consecutive Masters 1000 events, might be in need of a rest.
And, Alcaraz will need to recover quickly if he is to make the trip to Madrid.
If they do both miss Madrid, Sinner will hold on to the top spot until the Italian Open and French Open.
Two tournaments where he lost to Alcaraz in the final last year.
- 2025 Italian Open final – Carlos Alcaraz defeated Jannik Sinner, 7-6, 6-1
- 2025 French Open final – Carlos Alcaraz defeated Jannik Sinner, 4-6, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 7-6
Therefore, if Sinner can outperform Alcaraz, or match his efforts from 2025, he will remain world number one.
While Alcaraz would surely love to return to the top spot in the world rankings, his main priority will be winning the French Open.
The Spaniard is the two-time defending champion, and a third title in 2026 would see him edge closer to becoming the first man to complete the Calendar Grand Slam since Rod Laver.
Only time will tell if Alcaraz can win the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open this year, but you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action.
The 2026 French Open begins on Sunday, May 24.
