Carlos Alcaraz explains why he withdrew from the Barcelona Open with injury

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Carlos Alcaraz has pulled out of the Barcelona Open.

Alcaraz, who opted to skip practice on Wednesday, made the decision after feeling discomfort in his wrist during his opening-round match against Otto Virtanen.

He was leading 5-4 in the first set when he called the physio onto court, who then taped up his right wrist.

The Spaniard spoke to reporters on Wednesday and explained why he decided to step away from the tournament.

Carlos Alcaraz pulls out of the Barcelona Open

“It’s a more serious injury than we expected when we saw the results of this morning’s tests,” Alcaraz told reporters in the Spanish city, as per Jose Moron of Punto de Break.

“I’m stepping back to avoid taking any risks.

“With great sadness, I’m leaving to start recovery as soon as possible so I can be ready for the upcoming tournaments as soon as possible.”

Alcaraz’s absence is a big blow to fans who were hoping to see him add another title to his collection, having already won in Barcelona twice before.

Lorenzo Musetti, still looking for his first title since 2022, now becomes the top seed left in the draw. Tomas Machac moves forward by default and will play Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in Friday’s quarter-final.

Alcaraz will be hoping that he has recovered in time for the Madrid Open, which starts on April 21st. However, it remains uncertain if he’ll be fit enough by then.

What will this mean for Carlos Alcaraz’s ranking?

At the 2025 Barcelona Open, Alcaraz was defeated in the final by Danish star Holger Rune.

The result means he will lose 280 ATP points from his ranking total, dropping him to 12,960 points – now 390 behind world number one Jannik Sinner.

Alcaraz had a chance to reclaim the top spot with a title run in Barcelona but will have to wait for another opportunity later in the season.

Both players are now uncertain to play in Madrid. Alcaraz may not recover in time from his wrist issue, while Sinner has yet to confirm his participation following a gruelling stretch that included his title run in Monte Carlo Masters.