Carlos Alcaraz out of Madrid Open for second consecutive year after injury suffered in Barcelona
ATPFriday, 17 April 2026 at 16:08
Carlos Alcaraz is out of the Madrid Open for the second year in a row and will not play in his home tournament after an injury he suffered at the Barcelona Open.
Alcaraz won his opening match winning 6-4 6-2 over Otto Virtanen but required medical treatment for wrist pain and was set to face Tomas Machac in the second round but he had to withdraw in the end.
This provided a bleak one for the Madrid Open who also lost Novak Djokovic just this morning due to injury so now it is Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev who lead the line-up, the latter is into the semi-finals in Munich.
Speaking to the press in Barcelona, he said: "The truth is that it's strange and difficult to sit here for the second time, because I've done this before, and to say that I won't be able to continue in the tournament.
"As everyone could see yesterday in the match, after a return I felt like my wrist gave out and I started to feel discomfort that, little by little, kept increasing during the game.
"It's a situation that I thought I'd felt before and that wouldn't get worse, that it was simply discomfort from the effort of the entire week, but I saw today's exams and it's an injury a bit more serious than everyone expected.
"And the truth is that I have to listen to my body, listen to what's best for me and won't harm me in the future. And that's why I have to withdraw from this tournament, which for me has always been an exceptional tournament, a wonderful tournament, a super special tournament.
"Personally, I never like to give up on any tournament, but this one is especially important to me.
Carlos Alcaraz attends a press conference to announce his withdrawal from the 2026 Barcelona Open
"I have to go back home to start recovery as quickly as possible with my team, with the doctors, with the physiotherapist, and try to be as healthy as possible, as quickly as possible, for the tournaments I have in the future.
"I hope you can see me back on a tennis court as soon as possible."
He faced a race against time to find himself back on the court in time for the Madrid Open and now consecutive years, he has had to pull out of the biggest tournament in his home country which is due to begin early next week.
"There are some news that are incredibly hard to share. Madrid is home, one of the most special places on my calendar, and that's why it hurts so much not to be able to play here for the second year in a row," wrote Alcaraz in Spanish on X. "It hurts especially not to be in front of my people, in a tournament that means so much. Thank you for the unwavering affection, and I hope we see each other soon."
Carlos Alcaraz is already OUT of Madrid, withdrawing way earlier than in 2025...
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) April 17, 2026
Back to back years without playing the biggest tournament of his country. Tough... https://t.co/RgoMP6D26a
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
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