Just when Carlos Alcaraz seemed to be building momentum on clay again, his campaign has hit an untimely roadblock.
The Spaniard withdrew from the Barcelona Open on Wednesday due to a wrist injury, one that could have bigger implications with Roland Garros looming.
‘I Have To Listen To My Body’
Alcaraz’s withdrawal came just a day after his opening-round win over Otto Virtanen, where the issue first surfaced.
“I won’t be able to continue in the tournament,” he told reporters.
“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.”
It’s a cautious call but a necessary one, especially at this stage of
the season.
A Familiar Setback in Barcelona
This instance marks the second withdrawal in three years from a tournament he’s otherwise dominated — winning back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023, before finishing runner-up to Holger Rune last year.
He was set to face Tomas Machac for a spot in the quarterfinals, but that opportunity will now have to wait.
Race Against Time
The bigger concern? Timing.
Alcaraz comes into this setback on the back of a tough loss to Jannik Sinner in the Monte Carlo Masters final, a result that cost him the world No. 1 ranking.
Barcelona offered a shot at reclaiming it. Now, that pursuit is on hold.
Instead, the focus shifts firmly to recovery.
“I have to go home to start my recovery as soon as possible with my team, the doctors, and the physical therapist, and get — or try to get — as healthy as possible as soon as possible for the tournaments I have coming up,” he said.
“I hope you’ll be able to see me on the court again as soon as possible.”
(with AFP inputs)
