Carlos Alcaraz's Barcelona Open participation in doubt following Monte-Carlo Masters withdrawal due to injury - Reports

Carlos Alcaraz's 2024 season has hit a slight snag as he was forced to withdraw from the Monte-Carlo Masters due to an injury. His participation in the Barcelona Open (April 15-24) is also in doubt, according to recent reports.

Alcaraz arrived in Monte-Carlo after a disappointing quarterfinal exit at the Miami Open and was set to face Felix-Auger Aliassime in the second round, having received a first-round bye. There were concerns about his participation in the Masters 1000 tournament after he was seen practicing with a heavily taped right arm.

As it later turned out, the taping was a signal towards a deeper issue as Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the tournament ahead of his match due to an injury in the pronator teres of his right arm. In an Instagram post, the World No. 3 stated that he tried to recover till the very last moment but had no choice but to pull out of the competition.

"I have been working in Monte Carlo and trying to recover until the last minute from an injured pronator teres in my right arm, but it was not possible and I cannot play! I was really looking forward to playing... See you next year! @rolexmontecarlomasters @atptour," Alcaraz wrote on Instagram.

Carlos Alcaraz was replaced by lucky loser Lorenzo Sonego and was not defending any points at the 2024 Monte-Carlo Masters due to his non-participation last year. After his announcement, the Spanish publication Marca reported that Alcaraz was planning to take a couple of days off and then return to training at the Juan Carlos Ferrero Tennis Academy.

Any decision about Alcaraz's schedule and impending title defense at the Barcelona Open, which begins on April 15, will be taken after his return to the practice court.

Carlos Alcaraz will defend a lot of points during 2024 clay swing ft. Barcelona Open

Alcaraz pictured at 2023 Barcelona Open

Carlos Alcaraz would be hoping to regain full fitness as quickly as possible as he has the challenging task of defending 2265 points during the clay swing this year. His defense will begin at the Barcelona Open next week, where he was the defending champion and earned 500 points.

Alcaraz was also the victor at the Madrid Open last year, where he defeated Jan-Lennard Struff in the title contest. In addition, the 20-year-old reached the third round of the Italian Open and the semifinals of the French Open in 2023.

Carlos Alcaraz has tasted success on the 2024 ATP Tour. After an underwhelming start, the two-time Grand Slam champion picked up his first trophy of the year at the Indian Wells Masters.