Carlos Alcaraz’s Barcelona Open campaign lasted one match. Less than 48 hours after returning to the court following his defeat in the Monte-Carlo Masters final, the world No. 2 confirmed he would not continue in the tournament, withdrawing with a right wrist injury after calling an urgent press conference on April 15.The 22-year-old had opened with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Otto Virtanen, a result that set up a round-of-16 match against Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic on Thursday, April 16. That match will not take place.
Injury confirmed after opening-round win
The problem first appeared during the opening set against Virtanen, when Alcaraz called for the physiotherapist and had his wrist taped before continuing the match.At the time, the expectation was that the issue could be managed. Further tests changed that.“It’s a more serious injury than we expected when we saw the results of this morning’s tests,” Alcaraz said. “I’m stepping back to avoid taking any risks.” “I never like to withdraw from any tournament, and especially not this one,” he said. “It is with great sadness that I have to return home to begin my recovery as soon as possible with my team, the doctors and the physio, and to be, or try to be, as fit as possible for the tournaments I have coming up.” In describing the moment the problem began, he added: “I felt my wrist give out on a return during the match. After the tests, we saw that it’s a more serious injury than any of us expected, and I have to listen to my body so it doesn’t affect me in the future.
A withdrawal that comes mid-week
The timing leaves a match unplayed rather than lost. Alcaraz had been due to face Tomas Machac in the round of 16, but the withdrawal removes him from the draw before that stage.The withdrawal also comes as Alcaraz was building momentum in his push to reclaim the world No. 1 spot, with his rivalry against Jannik Sinner.Alcaraz had arrived in Barcelona with a chance to reclaim the world No. 1 ranking from Jannik Sinner, who moved back to the top after defeating him in straight sets in the Monte-Carlo Masters final earlier in the week.A deep run in Barcelona would have kept that possibility open. Instead, the focus shifts to recovery. Alcaraz had previously won the Barcelona title in 2022 and 2023 and finished runner-up last year. This is the second time in three seasons that injury has forced him out of the tournament.
Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, left, and winner Italy’s Jannik Sinner stand on the podium after the final tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals, in Turin, Italy, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
What it means for the clay season
The extent of the injury remains unclear, but the timing runs into a stretch of the calendar that leaves little room to pause. Alcaraz had been set to play the Madrid Open from April 20, followed by the Italian Open between May 5 and May 17. The French Open at Roland Garros is scheduled to begin on May 24 o June 7. He has dealt with a wrist issue before, returning after roughly two weeks, though playing through some discomfort at the time. How this one compares will determine how much of the clay-court season he is able to play.
