Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz’s bid for a third consecutive Barcelona Open victory was dashed on Sunday when he withdrew from the tournament with a right-hand injury, organizers confirmed.
The injury marked his withdrawal from the Monte Carlo Masters due to a similar injury, just weeks before the French Open.
Despite his efforts until the eleventh hour, Alcaraz’s participation in the Barcelona Open was inevitable, according to the organizers.
Alcaraz now turns his attention to the Madrid Open, scheduled for April 24-May 5, which he won in the last two editions.
Alcaraz, 20, won the US Open (2022) and Wimbledon (2023) and reached the semifinals at Roland Garros last year, but is unlikely to win the French Open title.
Despite being seeded above Barcelona, Alcaraz will say goodbye to the second round with an undisputed advantage over compatriot Rafael Nadal.
Nadal, 37, returned to the ATP Tour since suffering a liver injury in January and received a card invitation.
After playing only one match since his quarter-final appearance against Jordan Thompson at the Brisbane Open – an exhibition against Alcaraz – the 22-time Grand Slam champion’s ranking has dropped to 646th.
Nadal’s injury in Brisbane meant he had to return from the Australian Open, Doha and India Wells.
Nadal’s only appearance since Brisbane was in an exhibition match against Alcaraz in Las Vegas in March, when observers noted some discomfort in his back.
Given that this is likely to be Nadal’s last year on tour, he will be looking to avoid any hiccups in his clay-court preparations as he seeks an unprecedented 15th French Open title.
“I’m happy here, Barcelona is where I’ve had a lot of happiness and where I’ve spent an important time in my life,” Nadal said in Saturday’s debate.
