Carlos Alcaraz’s sensational start to the 2026 season has slowed down in recent months, and now his entire campaign is under threat.
After all, following the decision to rush from Monte Carlo to Barcelona to play in front of his home crowd, the Spaniard has faced the repercussions of his eagerness to keep playing.
Alcaraz has been forced to withdraw from the event, having picked up an injury he described as far more ‘serious’ than they first thought.
It marks a worrying sign for the youngster, who will have had grand ambitions of defending his Roland Garros title next month.
If he is to achieve that, or even play at all, Carlos Alcaraz has an obvious decision to make.
Carlos Alcaraz must now skip the Madrid Open
Just as Jannik Sinner was praised for his scheduling decision after Monte Carlo, opting to skip Barcelona, Alcaraz has been punished for his.
And whilst he rushed to Barcelona for the opportunity to play in Spain, he must not make the same mistake with the Madrid Open coming up.
Should Carlos Alcaraz have skipped the Barcelona Open? Did he make a mistake by playing it?
To be safe, and maximise his chances of peaking as the clay-court season reaches its most important stage in Paris, this is an event he simply must skip.
Whether he feels 100% or not, the ‘serious’ nature of this injury should not be risked.
It’s a clear decision, even if it’s tough to accept, given that it forfeits his opportunity of playing in front of his home fans.
Carlos Alcaraz’s run to the 2025 Roland Garros title
If Alcaraz needed any extra convincing that this is the path he must follow, he need look no further than his run to the Roland Garros title from last year.
After all, he followed a very similar path to the one being suggested and enjoyed a hugely successful end to the clay-court season.
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Having got injured in Barcelona and opting to skip Madrid, he returned revitalised in Rome to play Sinner in the final.
After beating the Italian in his homeland, he then stormed his way to the French Open final, where he once again toppled his great rival in arguably the greatest Grand Slam match of all time.
Admitting when a break is needed is arguably as important as the weekly training is for managing long-term success.
Alcaraz simply must skip Madrid if he wants to replicate last year’s success.
