Carlos Alcaraz’s Barcelona Open ended almost as soon as it began. The Spaniard withdrew on Wednesday, April 15, after tests on his right wrist revealed a more serious problem than first expected, one day after he came through his opening match in Catalonia.
Alcaraz had returned to Barcelona looking for a quick reset after his loss to Jannik Sinner in the Monte Carlo final, but instead walked away with a new concern hanging over the heart of his clay season. He had opened the tournament with a straight-sets win over Finnish qualifier Otto Virtanen and was due to face Tomas Machac in the second round before pulling out.
In explaining the decision, Alcaraz said the results of the medical tests made clear that the injury was worse than he and his team initially thought. He said he needed to listen to his body and return home to begin treatment with his doctors and physiotherapist, prioritizing recovery so the issue would not create longer-term problems.
The withdrawal is a blow for both the tournament and the wider clay-court swing. Alcaraz is a two-time Barcelona champion, having won the title in 2022 and 2023, and he arrived this week with a chance to reclaim the world No. 1 ranking from Sinner if he lifted the trophy. Instead, he leaves the ATP 500 event early, with Madrid and Rome now taking on even greater importance in his buildup to Roland Garros, which begins on May 24.
The timing is especially frustrating because Alcaraz had started 2026 in strong form. He owns a 22-3 record this season and has already won titles at the Australian Open and in Doha, reinforcing the sense that he remained one of the clear favorites for the major clay events ahead.
For now, the focus shifts from titles and rankings to recovery. Alcaraz said he hopes fans will see him back on court as soon as possible, but his withdrawal from Barcelona has turned what looked like another home-soil title chase into an early test of how quickly he can get healthy before the biggest stretch of the clay season.
