Carlos Alcaraz withdraws from Barcelona Open with right wrist and forearm injury

Carlos Alcaraz injured his wrist during his first-round match against Finland's Otto Virtanen. Joan Valls / NurPhoto via Getty Images) Share full article2Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from the Barcelona Open with an injury to his right wrist and forearm, sustained during his first-round win over Finland’s Otto Virtanen. Alcaraz, who beat Virtanen 6-4, 6-2 and was set to face Tomáš Macháč of the Czech Republic in the second round, called a news conference early Wednesday evening in Barcelona to announce that he could not continue in this year’s edition of the tournament, which he has won twice. “After seeing the results today, it turns out the injury is a little more serious than we all expected. I need to listen to my body and do what’s best for me, so it doesn’t affect me in the future,” the 22-year-old seven-time Grand Slam champion said. Alcaraz had played down the injury after his win over Virtanen, but the tournament confirmed that his withdrawal followed a test on his right wrist Wednesday morning. The Spaniard had the opportunity to reclaim the world No. 1 ranking from Jannik Sinner by lifting the trophy in Barcelona; Sinner took it from Alcaraz by beating him in the Monte Carlo Masters final last Sunday. Alcaraz will have to decide whether to play the Madrid Open, which starts Apr. 20, as he prepares for a title defense at the French Open, which starts May 21. Madrid’s altitude makes it less of a direct preparation for the French Open; the Italian Open, which starts May 5 in Rome, is more similar to the clay in Paris. Alcaraz and Sinner missed last year’s Madrid Open, the former with a right abductor injury (sustained during a Barcelona Open final defeat to Holger Rune) and the latter due to his three-month anti-doping suspension. Norway’s Casper Ruud won the title in the Spanish capital over Britain’s Jack Draper, but both players are serious doubts for the tournament due to injuries. Macháč, who defeated Sebástian Baéz in his opening match, will face Andrey Rublev or Lorenzo Sonego in the Barcelona quarterfinals. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms James Hansen is a Senior Managing Editor for The Athletic covering tennis. Prior to joining The Athletic in 2024, he spent just under five years as an editor at Vox Media in London. He attended Cambridge University, where he played college tennis (no relation to the American circuit), and is now a team captain at Ealing Tennis Club in west London. Follow James on Twitter @jameskhansen