Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from the French Open with a suspected wrist injury, sparking concerns about his participation in the remainder of the clay court swing. The Spaniard will be hoping to be fit in time for next week’s Madrid Open, but if the issue persists, he could face a race against time to be ready for next month’s French Open.
Speaking to the physio, the mics caught Alcaraz saying: “With little rest time between one tournament and another, small details and discomforts always come up. Tomorrow I’ll see with my physio how it is, and hopefully it’s nothing.”
Alcaraz said after the match he was looking forward to going deep in the tournament, but just 24 hours later, the situation changed once more. During a press conference, Alcaraz announced his intentions to withdraw from the Barcelona Open, suggesting the injury was more serious than first thought.
He explained: “It’s strange and difficult to sit here for the second time, because I’ve already done so before. It’s to let you know that I won’t be able to continue in the tournament. I felt my wrist give way on a return during the match. After the tests, we’ve seen that it’s a more serious injury than we all expected, and I have to listen to my body and make sure it doesn’t affect me in the future.
“With great sadness, I have to go home to start my recovery as soon as possible with my team, the doctors, and the physio, and try to get as healthy as possible for the tournaments I have coming up. I hope you’ll be able to see me back on the court as soon as possible.”
Alcaraz will be hoping to have shaken it off by the time the Madrid Open rolls around next week, but before then, the withdrawal has certainly put the cat among the pigeons, given Jannik Sinner isn’t involved either. The Italian defeated Alcaraz in the recent Monte Carlo Masters final, but decided to sit out the ATP 500 event in Barcelona this week.
It had given Alcaraz the chance to claw back some ground in the battle for world No.1. However, given the seven-time Grand Slam champion won in Barcelona last year, Alcaraz hasn’t been able to defend the ranking points he accrued from this tournament 12 months ago. As such, Sinner will enter the Madrid Open as world number one with a 390-point lead.