Walking through the avenues of the Real Club de Tenis de Barcelona, the atmosphere is heavy, very heavy. The worst possible news for fans has arrived.
It was official - Alcaraz has announced his withdrawal from the tournament. The Murcian, who came to Catalonia aiming to win and overtake Jannik Sinner to reclaim the ATP number one ranking, has been forced to stop due to the physical problems he experienced with his right wrist.
The discomfort that appeared after his opening win against Virtanen worsened, leading to the final decision not to continue his run in Barcelona.
On Wednesday morning, 'Carlitos' had cancelled his training session, a clear sign that things were not heading in the right direction.
A cautious but tough decision, which ends his journey in the tournament and raises questions ahead of the clay season. Alcaraz leaves Barcelona needing to fully recover from his condition.
It is the second time in three years injury has forced Alcaraz to withdraw from the Barcelona tournament. He won it 2022 and 2023, and finished runner-up to Holger Rune 12 months ago.
Alcaraz had been scheduled to face Tomas Machac on Thursday for a place in the quarter-finals.
Carlos’ words
“The truth is, it feels strange and difficult to sit here for the second time, because I’ve already done it before, and announce that I won’t be able to continue in the tournament. As you all saw yesterday during the match, after a backhand, I felt my wrist give way and started to feel discomfort that got worse as the match went on.
“As I said yesterday, I repeat my words: I thought it was something I’d already felt before and that it wouldn’t get worse, that it was just some discomfort from the demands of the whole week. But after seeing today’s tests, it turns out the injury is a bit more serious than we all expected.”
“And the truth is, as I’ve said, in the end I have to listen to my body, understand what’s best for me and what won’t have a negative impact on my future. That’s why I had to withdraw from this tournament, which has always been an exceptional, wonderful, truly special event for me.”
“Personally, I never like to withdraw from any tournament, but I think this one is especially special. So, with a heavy heart, I have to go home and start my recovery as soon as possible with my team, with the doctors, with the physiotherapist, and try to get back to full health as soon as possible for the upcoming tournaments. I hope to see you all again on a tennis court very soon.”