Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from the Barcelona Open, an ATP 500 tournament, citing wrist pain. The Spanish player confirmed the decision himself. Alcaraz experienced discomfort in his wrist during his match on Tuesday against Otto Virtanen. He took a medical timeout between the first and second sets but ultimately won the match with a score of 6-4, 6-2.
Despite winning, Alcaraz cancelled his training session for today and announced his withdrawal at a press conference held at 5:30 PM CEST. This means that Thomas Machac, who was scheduled to face Alcaraz in the round of 16 on Thursday, has received a walkover and automatically advances to the quarterfinals. Machac is now set to play against either Andrey Rublev or Lorenzo Sonego on Friday.
This withdrawal has significant implications for Alcaraz’s ranking. He will be unable to reclaim the world number one spot next week. Furthermore, he is likely to lose a substantial portion of the 330 points he earned by reaching the final last year. This will widen the gap between him and Jannik Sinner in the rankings. It is worth noting that neither player is defending points at the upcoming Madrid Open, although their participation there remains uncertain.
Alcaraz has not yet confirmed whether he will compete in the Madrid Open. His participation will depend on the recovery progress of his wrist injury.
English Translation:
Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from the Barcelona Open, an ATP 500 tournament, due to wrist pain. The Spaniard confirmed this himself. He experienced wrist discomfort during his match on Tuesday against Otto Virtanen, taking a medical timeout between the first and second sets, but ultimately won 6-4, 6-2. However, he cancelled his training for today and announced his withdrawal at a press conference at 5:30 PM CEST.
This means that Thomas Machac, whom he was due to face in the round of 16 on Thursday, has automatically qualified for the quarterfinals and is expected to play Andrey Rublev or Lorenzo Sonego on Friday.
Consequently, Alcaraz will not be able to reclaim the world number one ranking next week. In fact, he will lose most of the 330 points he gained by reaching the final last year, and the gap with Jannik Sinner will widen. Neither player is defending points at the Madrid Open next week, provided they participate. Alcaraz has not stated whether he will play in Madrid, but it will depend on his wrist’s recovery.