Carlos Alcaraz’s Madrid Open withdrawal fuels concern among fans over injuries & longevity

Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the Madrid Open, citing injury, which has raised concerns among fans about his longevity on tour. The Spaniard has undergone multiple injury issues in his short and successful career.

Alcaraz began his clay court swing with a crucial triumph at the Monte-Carlo Masters, which helped him regain the World No. 2 spot from Alexander Zverev. Later, the Spaniard reached the Barcelona Open final, but after taking a medical timeout, he succumbed to Holger Rune.

Meanwhile, Zverev bagged the ATP 500 title in Munich to reclaim the World No. 2 spot. Alcaraz and Zverev would have been on a collision course at the Masters 1000 event in Madrid, but the Spaniard has withdrawn, citing two injuries.

"During the Barcelona final, I hurt the adductor muscle in my right leg, but I also felt something in the hamstring of my left leg," he said during a press conference in Madrid.

The news about his injuries and withdrawal was shared on X, and fans expressed concern about the 21-year-old's longevity.

"I like Alcaraz but the injuries are genuinely going to ruin his career. He’s so injury prone and he’s so young. It’s very concerning," one fan wrote.

"Carlos career just getting started and it feels like he’s already 35," another fan wrote.

"His game is too physical. He will be suffering from injuries throught all his career. Sinner will overcome his achievements in short period of time," a third fan wrote.

Here are a few more fan reactions to Carlos Alcaraz's Madrid Open withdrawal.

"They don’t make them like they used to. Nadal, Djokovic, Federer and Murray could all play multiple tournaments just fine," one fan wrote.

"That’s sad. Be well Carlos," another fan wrote.

"Going forward, he should prioritize the clay Masters over Barcelona. He should only play Barcelona if he gets an early exit in Monte Carlo. As it stands now, he doesn't have the fitness to play a full clay season," yet another fan wrote.

---

Carlos Alcaraz hopes to be back by the Italian Open, but assures his presence at the French Open

Carlos Alcaraz with the French Open 2024 trophy - Source: Getty

During the same press conference, Carlos Alcaraz said that he would be getting some more tests done in the coming week to reassess the injuries.

"Next Monday I'll have another test to see how the injury has progressed. From there, we'll see how things go and assess what the next few weeks will be like... I think I'll be back training in a week or two," Carlos Alcaraz said.

Further, he assured his presence at the French Open, where he will be defending his title.

"I don't want to take anything for granted. We'll definitely be at Roland Garros, and we'll try to be there in Rome," he added.

Last year, as well, the Spaniard underwent a lot of struggle with injuries during the clay season. He withdrew from the Monte-Carlo Masters and did not play in Barcelona or Rome, but managed to bag the French Open title.

Notably, on the first episode of his Netflix documentary, the Spaniard expressed his "frustration" after a difficult Barcelona Open training that made him understand the severity of his injury.